All India BSNL Pensioners' Welfare Association.

Archives-News

18/05

The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) in the Ministry of Finance informs that they are developing a single window system for all the central government pensioners in India. Through the Window any Pensioner can check and find out the status of his Pension, how it was calculated etc . etc.

Click on the following Link to see the Announcement of CPAO.

cpao-single-window.pdf

14/05

As already reported through this medium, an advance copy of the Cabinet Note on 78.2% has been submitted to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and five copies have been sent to Cabinet Secretariat simultaneously. It is for initial scrutiny. According to the rules, the PMO or Cabinet Secretariat should tell DoT within three working days if the Note requires any correction. So far, no instruction is received from them. Three working days are over. Normally, no Department will act on 4th day. Because it is PMO. They used to wait for a week or so. We can expect further action next week.

Some people have suggested that we should approach Shri Ananthakumar again. We understand and appreciate their anxiety. But they forget that this issue is not very important for others except BSNL retirees. For Shri Narendra Modi or Shri Ananthakumar, there are more important issues like Assembly elections, Helicopter, Sonia Gandhi etc. etc.

"BAKING STARTED. WAIT TILL THE BREAD GETS COOLED."

13/05

The results of 7th Membership Verification for Non-Executives in BSNL are announced. Both BSNLEU and NFTE-BSNL will continue to enjoy the facilities of recognition. We congratulate the leaders of both the organizations.

BSNLEU could not get 50% though it increased the vote share marginally. That helped NFTE to retain recognition as the second recognized union. There is an erosion of 1.5% vote share of FNTO.

One fact is revealed: during the last three years there is a reduction of 40648 voters amongst the non-Executives. In other words, more than 40,000 Non-Executive staff retired from BSNL during the three years.

10/05

FULL PENSION FOR THOSE RETIRED WITH

LESS THAN 33 YEARS OF QUALIFYING SERVICE

As reported earlier, the Department of Pension issued an OM on 6th April 2016 stating that all those who retired before 1-1-2006 with less than 33 years of qualifying service are also entitled to get full pension, at par with post-2006 pensioners. The said Office Memorandum is now endorsed by Department of Telecom on 5-5-2016. The DoT order dated 5-5-2016 is given in our Page: IMPORTANT ORDERS.

Same can be seen by clicking on the link given below also.

full-pension-dot-endorsement.pdf

09/05

MESSAGE IS CLEAR

" ...Sri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister wanted that all obsolete laws should be scrapped. Taking advantage of the direction some officers moved to scrap the very important Indian Pension Act 1871 which gave the workers the Statutory Pension and protection against attachment of pension by some court cases etc.

The government had almost decided to axe the 145-year-old Pension Act. But at a meeting held on April 28, several ministries disagreed with the move. This led the government to consider doing away with some of the “irrelevant or redundant” provisions of the Pensions Act, 1871 instead of repealing it. The final decision will now be made by Prime Minister Modi, who heads the pensions department of the personnel ministry. The government has so far repealed 125 archaic laws.

It has proposed to scrap over 1,000 more such laws. The representative of the Department of Financial Services (DoFS) said at the meeting that the Pensions Act is applicable to pensions under a large number of rules and Acts of Parliament. “He specifically mentioned that pensions of the President, Vice President, Ministers and MPs are regulated by Acts of Parliament.

Similarly, pensions of Supreme Court/high court judges, central vigilance commissioners, central information commissioners and members of UPSC are also granted under Acts regulating their service conditions. These Acts of Parliament do not contain provisions securing the pension against attachment,” the minutes recorded.

Only Section 11 of the Pensions Act provides this protection to the constitutional authorities. When the pensions department proposed that the rules regulating various types of pension be amended to secure the pension and hence facilitate repealing of the Pensions Act, all ministries raised objections.

The home ministry “expressed apprehension” that the protection against attachment by courts, if provided in rules, “may not be as effective” as that provided in an Act of Parliament.

The rural development department concurred, saying all social security pensions administered by it are through executive orders and any provisions for security against attachment by court “may not be effective” as the provisions will not have any statutory backing.

The ministries of environment, culture and external affairs, and the departments of telecom, expenditure and posts said they do not even administer any separate pension rules.

ANYWAY THE PENSION ACT MAY NOT BE SCRAPPED IMMEDIATELY. BUT THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR. THERE CAN BE AN ATTACK ON THE STATUTORY PENSION. THE MANMOHAN SINGH GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED NEW PENSION SCHEME BUT DID NOT SCRAP THE EXISTING ACT.

NOW THE QUESTIONS ARE:

1. WILL THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT SCRAP THE INDIAN PENSION ACT?

2. IF THEY DO IT HOW IT WILL BE DONE?

3. WHAT WILL BE THE PROTECTION OF PENSION?

WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE THE DEVELOPMENTS.

06/05

CABINET NOTE: Please click on the link given below to see the rules.

cabinet-note.docx


06/05

It is understood that DoT is sending an Advance copy of the Cabinet Note on 78.2% to the Cabinet Secretariat today. Another Copy is being sent to the Prime Minister's Office also.

04/05

Com. R L Kapoor has confirmed today that the file on 78.2%, signed by Secretary Telecom, is with DDG (Estt.).

It means that the Member(S) has sent it down to DDG for preparing the Bundles to be sent to Cabinet Secretariat.

The road is clear now. It will go to Cabinet soon.

But we can not expect any decision by cabinet before the assembly elections in some states are over.

04/05

2-5-2016 5.30 PM

Com. R L Kapoor reports from New Delhi.

"Secretary, Telecom has signed the File and the same is sent to Member (S) for forwarding it to the Cabinet Secretariat. It is confirmed by PS to Secretary."


04/05

MAY DAY GREETINGS TO OUR VIEWERS.

04/05

Salem West district branch held a conference on 27-4-2016. Com. P S Ramankutty (CHQ President) and Com. V Ram Rao (CHQ Asst Treasurer as well as the Tamilnadu Circle Secretary) participated and spoke on major issues. Com. Amruthalingam (Dist. President) presided over the meeting. Com. Ramani and his team conducted the conference in a most systematic manner. More than 300 comrades attended it.

Two photos are given below.

30/04

Today early morning Com. P Gangadhara Rao (Dy GS) and Com. R Changappa (CS, Karnataka circle) met Shri Ananthakumar, Honourable Minister and appraised him of the present position of the case of 78.2 %. They thanked Shri Ananthakumar for his timely and effective intervention which ensured fast movement of the File.

They informed the minister that the file is expected to be submitted to Cabinet secretariat very soon. They sought his help in getting an early decision. Shri Ananthakumar assured that he would do whatever possible.

We keep a constant and close vigil.

30/04

Some friends want to know the pay scales for various cadres/grades implemented on recommendations of 4th CPC (From 1-1-1986), 5th CPC (from 1-1-1996), 6th CPC (from 1-1-2006) and the minimum pension as well as the minimum family pension entitled.

We have prepared a Table with the above details and it is attached herewith.Those who retired with less than 33 years of service may check their basic pension (revised after 6th CPC) and the minimum pension given against their scale. If their pension is less than the minimum basic pension, the same should be stepped to the minimum given in the table. Similarly, those who retired with less than 33 years but getting more than the minimum pension, also should get full pension (50% of the 10 months average of pay plus grade pay). It needs detailed study.

Please click on the following link to see the Table.

payscales2020and20minimum20pension.pdf






04/05

29th April 2016 at 5 PM:

It is understood that the Hindi Translation of all documents in the Cabinet Note on 78.2% IDA is completed.

The File is submitted to Secretary, Telecom for his signature.

23/04

On 22-4-2016, our Legal Committee Member Com. R L Kapoor met Sri. Jain, the DDG (Estt.) and enquired about progress in the case of 78.2%. DDG informed that Mr. Pracheesh Khanna, Director (Estt) has gone to China for some training. The Person working as his substitute is quit new.

So the work of translating all documents connected with the case of 78.2% to Hindi is given to another officer. She is on the job of translation. The translation will be ready within few days. Then the File will be sent to Secretary, Telecom for signing the covering letter addressed to Cabinet Secretariat.

We can expect that the Case will be sent to Cabinet Secretariat by at least 10th May 2016.

19/04

Com. R L Kapoor, Legal Committee Member reports from New Delhi:

The Pension Anomaly case was listed as Item No 60 before the Principal bench of CAT today.

The Bench heard cases up to 13.30 hours. But, our Case did not come up before that time.

The case is simply postponed to next date of 20-5-2016,

In 1985, when the CAT was established it was said:



The Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court as well as the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and Hon'ble Minister of Law had expressed their anguish on many occasions about the delay in deciding cases pending in Courts. We are glad to say that the experience and trend in the Central Administrative Tribunal is otherwise. On the occasion of the opening of the new building of the Principal Bench of the Tribunal, some features of the dispensation of justice in the Tribunal are highlighted. With a view to easing the congestion of pending cases in various High Courts and other Courts in the country, Parliament had enacted the Adminisitrative Tribunals Act, 1985 which came into force in July, 1985 and the Administrative Tribunals were established in November, 1985 at Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Allahabad. Today, there are 17 Benches of the Tribunal located throughout the country wherever the seat of a High Court is located, with 33 Division Benches. In addition, circuit sittings are held at Nagpur, Goa, Aurangabad, Jammu, Shimla, Indore, Gwalior, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Pondicherry, Gangtok, Port Blair, Shillong, Agartala, Kohima, Imphal, Itanagar, Aizwal and Nainital.

...................................................................................

BUT, WHAT IS OUR EXPERIENCE WITH CAT? MOST DISAPPOINTING. MOST DISGUSTING.

HOW LONG THE OLD PENSIONERS SHOULD WAIT BEFORE THE CAT TO HEAR THE CASE FIXED SEVERAL TIMES?


18/04

COM. R L KAPOOR REPORTS FROM NEW DELHI:

"The file containing final Cabinet Note on 78.2%, as signed by the Minister for Communications has come back to Secretary. After he signed it the file has come to the DDG (Estt) for further processing."

PROCEDURAL DELAY:

Estt Section has to prepare the Hindi translations and sufficient number of copies in both Hindi and English; then send the documents to the cabinet Secretariat. It may take few days.


21/04

PUNJAB CIRCLE CONFERENCE WAS HELD ON 17-4-16 AT PATIALA, PUNJAB. A NEW SET OF OFFICE BEARERS INCLUDING COMS B.S.SAINI,G.S.BAJWA AND MANGAT RAM AS PRESIDENT,CIRCLE SECRETARY AND TREASURER WERE ELECTED. COMS ATMA RAM VERMA AND DAHIYA PARTICIPATED ON BEHALF OF CHQ. WE WISH THE OFFICE BEARERS ALL THE BEST



14/04

M.P. Circle Vice President and an active comrade of our Association Com R.S.TAMRAKAR breathed his last on 13-4-16 We convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved

21/04

WISH YOU ALL

A HAPPY VISHU BAISAKI AND TAMIL NEW YEAR