BSNL pensioners of Gulbarga and Bidar met at Gulbarga on 14-8-2016 and celebrated victory in the cases of 78.2 and 60:40. Com. K G Deshpande (CHQ Org. Secretary), Com. R Changappa (CS, Karnataka and Com. K Gururajan (Circle Treasurer, Karnataka) addressed the meeting and explained significance of these gains.

We got Freedom seven decades ago, not because of one leader or one family or one Party. People of India fought for it. We, the present generation- old and young, enjoy the fruits of that great struggle. We are free to criticize the leaders, we can criticize the Rulers, we can fight against injustice, we can fight for the justice. Let us not forget the sacrifice of lakhs of Indians for this freedom.

Comrades of Jaipur (Rajasthan) celebrated the victory in the cases of 78.2 and 60:40 on 12-8-2016 in the office compound of PGM TD. Com. Gayn Singh (AGS), Circle Secretary and District Secretary addressed the gathering.

Campaign is started by the Executives organizations for the first membership verification to be conducted in last week of September 2016. It is the time of competition demanding the highest, anything under sun in pay revision etc. It is quite usual. Our Association is totally aloof from it. We are not part of any organization. We are not an appendage of any one. We maintain equal distance from all. We represent all retirees, irrespective of their earlier affiliation or affinity while service.

PENSIONER CAN CONTINUE IN SERVICE UNIONS ONLY FOR SIX MONTHS AFTER RETIREMENT

The first membership verification to identify and recognize majority union of BSNL Executives will be conducted in last week of September 2016. Ten organizations are in the list of applicants at present.

BSNL Management has issued an order stating that a retired employee can continue as office-bearer of any service union for maximum period of six months from his retirement. If the rule is violated, the particular union will be disqualified from participating in the membership verification.

Campaign is started by the Executives organization. Our Association is totally aloof from it. We are not part of any organization. We are not an appendage of any one. We maintain equal distance from all. We represent all retirees, irrespective of their earlier affiliation or affinity while service.

On 10-8-2016 the BSNL pensioners of Udaipur- Rajasthan celebrated victory in the cases of 78.2 and 60:40. Com. Gyan Singh (AGS), Com. Sampath Singh (Circle President) and other leaders explained the issues.

BSNL has announced an attractive scheme to its landline users.

From 15th August 2016 onwards free unlimited calls are allowed on all Sundays from BSNL Landlines.

The order .free-calls-on-sundays.pdf

BSNL has issued order granting benefit of 78.2% merger in HRA to serving BSNL staff only from 1-10-2016.

Increased pay with 78.2% IDA was given only from 10-6-2013. Now, HRA on the increased Pay is given only from 1-10-2016.

Some people wrote to Secretary, Telecom in 2015 that future pension revision in BSNL should be through seventh CPC. Thereafter, they changed their stand. They demanded PRC. Government did not accept their demand. Government did not change the Terms of Reference of third PRC. Pension Revision is not in the terms of reference. Still, these people went and submitted their memorandum to PRC on 8-8-2016 . Very next day, on 9-8-2016, they wrote another letter to Secretary, Telecom asking for benefits through CPC. We do not question anybody's wisdom. The Telecom Commission may be perplexed to see these over-turns.

Understand the realities:

There is no Defined Benefit Scheme in CPSEs and it is only Defined Contributory Scheme.

In CPSEs pension is constant and there is no pension revision.

There is a DPE guideline that the "superannuation benefits should not exceed 30% of Pay + DA". That is why PRCs are recommending the same.

Department of Public Enterprises conducted a workshop at Hyderabad on 19/11/2012 and the topic was "Pension Schemes in CPSEs". Nearly 15 CPSEs participated in that workshop and gave presentations.

Certain aspects from those presentations are:

Oil India was nationalised on 14/10/1981. Before that, there was a statutory guarantee for payment of pension. As on 31/3/2012, 1095 employees under this category are getting pension @ 40% of last 10 months average as pension. Those who were recruited after 14/10/1981 are covered under Defined Contributory System of pension.

Gas Authority of India (GAIL) employees contribute a fixed amount of Rs.29,172/- per year and it would increase by 5% each year. But the Management contributes only Rs.100/- per year. After 32 years of service, 50% of Last Pay Drawn (LPD) is given as pension. Minimum qualifying service required is 15 years and minimum pension is 20%.

In Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Defined Benefit Scheme was introduced in November 1987 managed through Trust. As per DPE guidelines it was converted into Defined Contributory Scheme from 1/1/2007. Under Defined Benefit Scheme there were 13843 beneficiaries and under Defined Contributory Scheme there were 5595 beneficiaries as on 31/3/2012.

[ Nobody in the above CPSEs get pension from government. We are the only PSU retirees receiving pension from government.]

Superannuation benefit of 30% of Pay + DA is apportioned as follows in the following CPSEs:-

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CPF ............ . . . . . Gratuity . . . . . . Pension. . . . . . . . Medical Benefits
Neyveli Lignite Corporation ......12% . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.16% . . . . . . . . . .10% . . . . . . . . . . . .3.84%

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd ... 12% . . . . . . . . . . . ... 4.81% . . . . . . . . . . 8.69% . . . . . . ... . .4.5%

Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12% . . . . . . . . . . . . ....4.16% . . . .... . . . . . 9.84% . . . . . . . . . 4%

Without knowing the details, leaders of some Unions/Associations and the management of DoT talk about referring to PRC.

cpses-pension.pdf

BSNL Corporate Office has asked Circles to launch a web based programme to monitor the status of medical claims pending. It is a good suggestion. The only doubt is whether anyone in BSNL will take the instruction seriously and do it. bsnlmrs-web-based-programme.pdf

BSNL Corporate Office has issued an order yesterday, 10-8-2016, asking field units to settle the medical claims of retirees without delay. The Order is attached here. Please click on the link in red colour. bsnlmrs-quick-payment-to-pensioners.pdf

ORDERS ARE ISSUED TO START FUNCTIONING OF NEW BSNL CIRCLE FOR TELENGANA WITH EFFECT FROM 1-10-2016.

MEMBERS OF AIBSNLPWA AT ROHTAK DISCUSSING THE PROS AND CONS OF ORDER ON 78.2

MADHYA PRADESH CIRCLE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ITS CIRCLE CONFERENCE AT SAGAR.

Com. R K Tiwari, Com. M C Sharma and Com. H N Srivastava are re-elected as Circle President, Circle Secretary and Circle Treasurer respectively.

CONGRATULATIONS.

The Seventh CPC had suggested two options for revising the pension of old pensioners to bring parity with new pensioners. While issuing the orders, the DoP&PW implemented only Option No 2.Option No 1 is also accepted subject to feasibility.To study the option No 1 in detail and suggest if it can be implemented a committee is appointed, comprising Secretary (Pension) as Chairman and Member (Staff). Railway Board, Member (Staff), Department of Posts, Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser, Ministry of Home Affairs and Controller General of Accounts as Members.

ONE CASE STUDY

An old case was brought to me recently.One gentleman while working as RSA in Telephones took invalid pension in 1982 with 18 years of qualifying service. He had earned ten increments in his scale then. He was drawing pro-rata pension of Rs 3862 from 1-1-2006. Since he is entitled to get full pension under the recent orders I prepared the calculations and his pension is re-fixed at Rs 6750, being the minimum of the corresponding pays scale of RSA (The cadre does not exist now). He got arrears of Rs 5,98, 976 also. After revision under Option No 2 suggested by 7th CPC he will get basic pension of Rs 17348.

If the first option is accepted and implemented, the above gentleman may get basic pension of Rs 26000.

All cases need not be advantageous like this. Those who retired at a higher level of his/her grade (after earning ten increments or more) will get good benefit under Option No1. Of course, the service book of many may not be available.That is shown as the main reason to state that it is not feasible.

Note: All old pensioners should keep ready whatever papers they have. Do not lose any paper connected with Service or pension. Some pensioners come to know the benefits, without any paper, not even the PPO. Some people come with BankPass books without updating the entries for the last 3-4 years also.

...P S Ramankutty

Two days Circle conference of our Madhya Pradesh Circle started at Sagar today morning. Shri L N Yadav MP, Shri Bharadwaj (TDM Sagar), Shri K K Dixit (SSP), Com. Natarajan (GS) and M C Sharma (CS) addessed the Open Session today

Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare has issued the formal orders for revision of central government pensioners.

The said order says:

2.1 These orders shall apply to all pensioners/family pensioners who were drawing pension/family pension before 1.1.2016 under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972

7. (a) Where the Government servants on permanent absorption in public sector undertakings/autonomous bodies continue to draw pension separately from the Government, the pension of such absorbees will be updated in terms of these orders. I

DEPARTMENT OF PENSION & PENSIONERS' WELFARE HAS ISSUED THE NOTIFICATION FOR PENSION REVISION.

IT IS UPLOADED HEREUNDER.

Please click on this link to see the 6 pages order 7th-cpc-pension-revision.pdf