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Today, Com. G Natarajan, GS met Smt Sujata Ray, Director (HR) of BSNL along with Com. T S Vittoban, Treasurer.
GS requested to endorse the two important orders; 1) DoP&PW order de-linking condition of 33 years for full pension to pre-2006 pensioners. 2) The DoT order of 18-7-2016 on 78.2% benefit to pensioners.
Director said that it is being done and she instructed the concerned officer to issue the endorsements immediately.
WE FONDLY REMEMBER HIM….After lot of persuasion and discussions, the Department of Telecom accepted our plea for extending the benefit of 78.2% to BSNL retirees for revision of our pension. A proposal in this regard was sent to Department of Pension on 29-10-2013. After two months, the Department of Pension approved the said proposal with one condition that permission should be taken also from Department of Expenditure under Ministry of Finance.
Accordingly the proposal was submitted to DOE on 11-1-2014. After few days Com. Chhidu Singh went DOE and met the Director there. The Director told that his office did not receive any file from DoT. Chhidu Singh came back to Sanchar Bhavan and enquired. DoT people informed that the file was sent by hand. With the permission of Director (Estt), Chhidu Singh took the Group D employee who delivered the file in DOE. Then DOE people admitted that it was received but same was misplaced in their office. Once again Chhidu Singh came back to Sanchar Bhavan, took duplicate copies of the documents and he himself delivered the same to the Director in DOE.
That was Com. Chhidu Singh. Nobody else could have done such work. Others, sitting in Delhi permanently and claiming now all the credit for 78.2% did not know this. They were reporting the movement of the File. While we were moving the File from one table to another, from one office to another.
We remember late Com. Chhidu Singh for his systematic work and dedicated service.
Com. G Natarajan, our General Secretary and Com. Vittoban, CHQ Treasurer along with Com. R C Malhotra, AGS met the Secretary, Telecom Shri J S Deepak IAS today and conveyed gratitude of all BSNL pensioners in India for issuance of the order on 78.2. Shri Deepak is happy that he is getting blessings from elders. GS handed over a detailed letter to the Secretary seeking his intervention to have an amicable settlement of Pension anomaly case. Secretary assured that he would look into the matter.
MEETING THE NEW DIRECTOR (Estt).
Our leaders met the new Director (Estt) Smt. Vandana Sethi and discussed some items:
1.Clarifying the points raised by some CCAs about application of the recent orders on delinking of 33 years condition for full Pension. Some CCAs have taken a strange stand that it is not applicable to BSNL pensioners despite a clarification from DoT on 3-6-2016. Central Pension Accounting Office in Ministry of Finance made it very very clear that there is no pro rata pension now and anybody having rendered ten years service is entitled to full pension.
2.Court has directed the DoT to count Extra Increment for pension. But the benefit is given only to the four pensioners of Kerala who have gone to the Court. Few hundred affected pensioners are waiting for the benefit in different circles. A general order is required in the matter.
3.Wrongful recovery of excess payment made by Department for no fault of the employee/pensioner. Supreme Court has issued clear, unambiguous order. But it is not yet endorsed by Directorate.
4.CGHS for BSNL pensioners.In Delhi the CGHS does not entertain BSNL pensioners on the plea that they are PSU pensioners. Clear order is available.But the premium is yet to be determined.
After discussion the Director told that since she is new to the post she would seriously examine these cases and take suitable action.
BON VOYAGE TO COM. GANGADHARA RAO.Our Deputy General Secretary Com. P Gangadhara Rao is leaving tomorrow for USA along with his wife. His plan is to return by end of October and join us in the next Central Working Committee meeting to be held in RTTC complex, Rajpura, Punjab on12-13, November 2016.
Com. Gangadhara Rao is leaving with full satisfaction, after fulfilling a great task, after seeing the order in his hand. He has done a great service to BSNL pensioners all over India in a most brilliant manner.
WE WISH HIM A HAPPY STAY WITH HIS DAUGHTER IN USA. WE WISH THE FAMILY THE BEST.
Now, order is come. The Pension handling offices of BSNL are asked to process the cases and forward the same to CCA offices. Therefore, District Secretaries should meet the Heads of SSAs and request them to constitute Special Cell in SSA offices to take up this work immediately.
When DoT issued order on 10-6-2013 granting benefit of IDA merger to serving staff there was some confusion. The benefit was granted w.e.f 1-1-2007 but actual payment was made from 10-6-2013, the date of issuance of the order, as per the agreement made by BSNL Management and Staff Unions in June 2012. Those who agreed for PROSPECTIVE EFFECT are responsible for the loss of arrears from 1-1-2007. Fate of people retired between 1-1-2007 and 9-6-2013 was not clear. As such, till this date their pension was not revised. Now it is made beyond all doubt that the fixation from 1-1-2007 to 9-6-2013 is NOTIONAL only. Some people do not accept it. And, nobody wants their acceptance or consent. Cabinet decided and DoT issued order stating it is notional only.
No doubt, it is a wrong decision. It has to be challenged; it has to be fought against. Without accepting the reality you can not challenge it.
We are reproducing hereunder the ORDER dated 18-7-2016THE ORDER
Department of Telecommunications
OM No 40-13/2013-Pen (T) dated 18-07-2016
Sub: Revision of pension of BSNL pensioners/family pensioners, who retired prior to 10-06-2013 by allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR with Basic Pay/Pension, effectively amounting to 78.2% DA/DR for the purpose of fitment.
The pension to combined service optee absorbed employees in BSNL is paid by Government as per sub-rules 21 to 23 of 37-A of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.
2. Consequent to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) orders dated 26-11-2008, revision of pay of employees of BSNL was allowed with effect from 1-1-2007 vide letter No 61-01/2009-SU dated 27-02-2009. Subsequently, pension/family pension of employees retired from BSNL who retired between 01-10-2000 and 1-1-2007, was revised vide this Office OM No 40-27/2008-Pen (T) Vol. III dated 15-3-2011.
3. Further to Department of Public Enterprises OM No 2(70)/08-DPE (WC)-GL-VII/09 dated 02-04-2 009, the benefit of merger of 50% DA with Basic Pay effectively amounting to 78.2% IDA as on 1-1-2007 for the purpose of fitment, was granted to the BSNL serving employees w.e.f. 10-06-2013 vide Order No 61-1/2012-SU dated 10-6-2013.
4. The issue regarding revision of pension/family pension of BSNL IDA pensioners/family pensioners, who retired prior to 10-06-2013 has been considered by the Government, and the following has been decided:
(a) The pension/family pension of BSNL IDA pensioners/family pensioners, who retired prior to 01-01-2007, may be revised as on 01-01-2007 notionally with actual benefit w.e.f. 10-06-2013 by adding together
(i) Existing basic pension/family pension including commuted portion of pension, if any
(ii) Dearness Relief (IDA) @ 78.2%
(iii) Fitment weightage @ 30% of the existing pension/family pension and dearness relief (IDA) thereon
The amount so arrived will be regarded as consolidated pension/family pension with effect from 10-06-2013.
(b) The pension/family pension of BSNL IDA pensioners/family pensioners, who retired between 01-01-2007 and 09-06-2013, their pay may be revised notionally with effect from 01-01-2007 by allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR with Basic Pay/Pension effectively amounting to 78.2% IDA for the purpose of fitment and consequential revision of pension on notional pay with the actual benefit w.e.f. 10-06-2013, at par with the serving employees of BSNL. However, these pensioners do not get actual benefit of increase in pay/pension during the period between 01-01-2007 to 09-06-2013, and they would not get increase in the amount of DCRG, leave encashment and commutation of pension on this account.
5. The other conditions with regard to commuted portion of pension, minimum pension and increase in the quantum of pension/family pension to the old pensioners/family pensioners, as mentioned in this office OM No 40-17/2008-Pen(T) Vol. III dated 15-3-2011 shall remain the same.
6. Action to revise pension/family pension in terms of these provisions may be initiated suo-moto by the concerned Heads of offices. All administrative offices of BSNL handling preparation of pension papers of BSNL pensioners may be directed to initiate the process of consolidation of pension/family pension to the BSNL IDA pensioners/family pensioners, who retired prior to 10-06-2013, at the consolidated rates in terms of para 4 above immediately and forward the same to the concerned CCAs for consolidation and issue of revised Pension Payment Orders (PPOs).
7. The exercise to extend benefit of these orders to the pensioners/family pensioners should be completed by 31-12-2016.
Sd/-
S K Jain , DDG (Estt.)
Com. G Natarajan, our General Secretary reached New Delhi today. He met Smt. Annie Moraes, Member (Finance) and conveyed to her the sincere thanks of BSNL Pensioners all over the country for releasing the order on 78.2%. Smt. Annie Moraes was the Member (Finance) since September 2013. She will be retiring on 31-7-2016. It is heard that she may become Member of TRAI after retirement.
Smt. Moraes was very much helpful in getting the condition of 60:40 annulled from the Rules.
GS, along with Com. R C Malhotra, AGS etc met the staff in Pension Section and distributed sweets to them for their prompt action in releasing the order.
It may be noted that the Cabinet cleared VII CPC report on 29-6-2016 and our case on 5-7-2016. Till this date, the order on VII CPC report is not issued. Whereas, the order on 78.2% has been released today.
18-7-2016 5.15 PM THE ORDER ISSUED BY DOT ON 78.2% IS ATTACHED HEREWITH.
CLICK ON THE LINK GIVEN IN RED COLOUR BELOW:
Karnataka Comrades desired to hold victory meeting in the presence of Shri Ananthakumar. But, after getting elevated as the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in the recent reshuffle, Shri Ananthakumar has become more busy and could not give a date to attend our meeting. Hence a general body meeting of Bangalore branch was held on 16-7-2016 in the PGMT Office auditorium.
The auditorium was jam packed; rather overflowed with our members who are jubilant over the victory and the success of efforts made by our leaders. All India leaders Com. Gangadhara Rao and Com. Babu addressed the meeting and also Com. R Changappa, our Karnataka Circle Secretary.
Com. G L Jogi, Chairman of SNEA was a special guest. In his speech Com. Jogi appreciated the efforts made by AIBSNLPWA to get 78.2% and annulment of 60:40 condition. Com. Jogi said that but for the efforts of AIBSNLPWA these cases could have been delayed further by years; notwithstanding the claims of others. He specially lauded the significant achievement of annulment of 60:40 condition after 12 years.
Com. T Ramachandran, addressing the comrades attending the monthly General Body meeting in Calicut on 14-7-2016. 
Com. K S Koteswara Rao, Circle Secretary speaks in the general body meeting held at Vijayawada on 14-7-2016 