Archives-News
We are happy to note that many branches are collecting the AIC Fund at the rate of Rs 50 per member to help the Reception Committee at Bangalore to host our next AIC in November 2015 successfully. According to the information CHQ received so far, following amounts have been transferred on-line to Reception Committee account:
Kerala (through Circle Secretary): Rs. 1 Lakh
Madurai (TN) Rs. 35000
Cuddalore (TN) Rs. 15000
Thanjavur (TN) Rs. 15000
Tuticorin (TN) Rs. 13000
Salem East (TN) Rs. 11300
STR DN (TN) Rs. 10000
Virudhunagar (TN) Rs. 10000
Chennai Tfc(TN) Rs. 7500
Karaikudi (TN) Rs. 5000
Nagercoil(TN) Rs. 5000
Jharkhand Rs. 8000
Sambalpur (Odisha) Rs. 6600
CHQ calls upon other branches to remit the amount positively before 30th September 2015. It can be sent through NEFT at minimum cost. [Details were given in Patrika 19.]
LUCKNOW: More than 23 lakh persons have applied against 368 posts of peon in the state secretariat.
What is even more shocking is that over two lakh applicants are at least graduate with BTech, BSc, MSc and MCom degrees. (News)
255 are Phd DOCTRATES ....
24969 are Post-graduates .........
1. 5 lakh are Graduates ...........
11.2 lakh are matriculates...........
The Educational qualification required for the posts is 5th Pass.
But, there is no immediate problem for the UP Govt. According to the officers of UP, to interview these 23 lakh applicants, the authorities may take more than four and a half years. By that time, Assembly election will be there and a new government may come to power.
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ALL INDIA BSNL PENSIONERS’ WELFARE ASSOCIATION
CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS
B-1. 2nd Floor, Shri Sharada Niwas,
3/2 Srinivasa Avenue Road, R A Puram, Chennai 600028
NOTICE FOR
ALL INDIA CONFERENCE
In accordance with the Articles 7 (a), 8(a) and 14 (a) of the Constitution of All India BSNL Pensioners’ Welfare Association, it is hereby notified that the 2rd Triennial All India Conference of the said Association shall be held at Dr. Ambedkar Bhawan, Millers Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore from 10 AM on 21st November to 22nd November 2015 to consider the agenda given below. Shri P S Ramankutty, President shall preside over the conference. Central Office-Bearers, Circle Secretaries and elected Delegates from the District Units shall be eligible to participate in the Conference.
AGENDA
1.Consideration of the Report on the activities of the Association from October 2012
to October 2015
2. Audited Accounts for the years; 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015
3. Issues concerning the BSNL/DoT pensioners
Extension of the benefit of 78.2% IDR in pension revision w.e.f. 1-1-2007
Future pension revision in BSNL
Seventh Central pay Commission report and its aftermath
Pension anomaly case
Extra Increment case
BSNLMRS
Other items concerning the pensioners of BSNL and DoT
4. Organizational Review
Functioning of CHQ/Circle/District Units
Publication of Pensioners Patrika
5. Amendments to the Constitution
6. Election of office-bearers
7. Nomination of Auditor
8. Resolutions
9. Any other item with permission of the Chair.
2nd September, 2015 G Natarajan
General Secretary.
Note: The pre-conference CWC will be held at the venue on 20-11-15 at 14’00 hrs. All CHQ oofice bearers and circle Secretaries are requested to be present
On 21-4-2015 the Principal Bench of CAT gave a landmark judgement that those who retired before 1-1-2006, with less than 33 years of service but with 20 years or more, should also be granted full pension. [Details were given in Page 19 and Page 20 of Patrika 19]
Government went on appeal against this judgement.
Delhi High Court dismissed the appeal.
But, so far, the Government has not issued any order implementing the judgement.
The matter is under consideration of Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Central Cabinet has approved the hike in CDA from July 2015.
The CDA (113% From January 2015) is increased to 119% with effect from July 2015.
For revision of pension with 78.2% IDA benefit, DoT asked BSNL Corporate Office to provide some data about BSNL staff retired before 1-1-2007and those retired after 1-1-2007 but before 10-6-2013.
In turn, on 26-3-2015 Corporate Office asked the Circles to provide it.
As usual, many circles did not respond. A reminder was sent to circles on 17-4-2015. No response.
Another reminder was sent on 10-6-2015. No response still.
Now another reminder is sent on 4-9-2015.
Many more reminder letters may fly from Delhi to Circles ..... WITHOUT ANY RESULT.
This is BSNL now.
Ex-Servicemen were united. Even the retired chief of army and senior officers from all the three wings of Military Services joined together in the fight for OROP. Very senior retired officers came to Jantar Mantar and shouted slogans along with retired jawans of lower ranks. The picture above shows Mr Satbir Singh (Retired Major Genera) shouting slogans.
The unity exhibited by the veterans should be a lesson for entire pensioners in India.
The OROP row represents perhaps the greatest betrayal of this government, Congress leader Manish Tiwari said.New Delhi: The Congress party today called the government's announcement of One Rank One Pension or OROP for retired military veterans as a 'betrayal' of the ex-servicemen's demands and said the scheme was "totally disappointing".
The ruling BJP however said the plan was a 'historic' one, pointing out that previous Congress-led UPA government had only allocated a paltry Rs. 500 crore for a scheme that would actually cost between Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 crore.
"The OROP row represents perhaps the greatest betrayal of this government. The Prime Minister tried to spin the issue," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari.
Congress leader and former defence minister AK Antony said, "The (Narendra) Modi government has substantially diluted the provisions of the OROP announced by the UPA. Today's announcement about OROP by the defence minister is totally disappointing."
The BJP however welcomed the announcement, calling it a historic decision. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "It is the Congress party's passion to criticise the government for everything, forgetting that they have not been able to fulfil this responsibility when in power."
There is unexpected delay in finalising the Cabinet Note on 78.2% case. The Department of Expenditure in Finance ministry has asked for some data. The DoT has not yet collected the Data and furnished it to DOE.
Our GS, Com. G Natarajan, will be going to New Delhi soon to meet the concerned officers to pursue the case.
Up to 1973, the Ex servicemen at the lower level (Jawans and non commissioned officers) were getting pension at the rate of 70% of their pay. Then it was reduced to 50%. The agitation or One Rank One Pension (OROP) started then. For the last 40 years, the agitation was going on. It became a political issue during the last election to Lok Sabha. Both the BJP and the Congress wanted to take political advantage..... After many ups and downs the Government has come out with a proposal, not fully satisfactory to the war veterans. Anyway 234.5 lakh Ex Servicemen and 6 lakh war widows will get some benefits.
A Report appeared in Hindu Newspaper
".........Fulfilling one of its major election promises in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections of the BJP, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday announced the implementation of the long delayed One Rank One Pension (OROP) for ex-servicemen.
The avowed aim of this announcement, to end the strike by veterans demanding OROP was however hanging in fire with protesting veterans rejecting the “unilateral” announcement as it “dilutes” several core issues from the accepted definition. In an effort to get the veterans on board, Mr. Parrikar met representatives of ex-servicemen later in the day and some understanding has been reached.
“Despite the huge fiscal burden, given its commitment to the welfare of ex-servicemen, the government has taken a decision to implement the OROP,” Mr. Parrikar while announcing the plan, and said the ministry of defence would soon issue a detailed government order.
| Government's Offer | What veterans want |
| Effective from July 1, 2014 | April 1, 2014 |
| OROP will be average of minimum and maximum pension scale in 2013 | Base for pension should be maximum of the pension scale in 2013 |
| Revision every 5 years | One or two years |
| One-member judicial commission to submit report in six months | Five-member team under Defense Minister to submit report in one month |
Com. R L Kapoor reports from New Delhi:
"Today I went to Sanchar Bhavan to enquire about status of 78.2% case. It is understood that the Finance Wing of DoT is still collecting the required data (as demanded by Department of Expenditure) from the CCAs.
Yesterday, Com. G Natarajan, our GS spoke to Member (Finance) Mrs. Annie Moraes about 78.2% case.
Member (F) informed GS that the DoT is on the job of preparing the DATA required by Department of Expenditure. She assured that it would be sent to DOE at the earliest possible.
The 50th anniversary of 1965 war has been observed by government. At INDIA GATE, tributes were paid to the AmarJawans who laid their lives for the nation in the war. But the war veterans are sitting on hunger strike few yards away, at Jantar Mantar. Ministers do not look at Jantar Mantar. They do not go by that road. Before last Lok Sabha elections the present Prime Minister and other leaders gave promise that OROP would be implemented. They have forgotten their own promises. Before bowing out the UPA government also declared that OROP would be implemented. But they failed to do it when they were in power. Now, their leaders are in opposition. Hence they go to Jantar Mantar. The same political drama will be enacted again and again....
With every passing day, the issue of OROP - one rank, one pension for retired armed forces personnel - is likely to become more unsolvable. When so many of them are sitting on strike at Jantar Mantar and getting increasingly emotional about it, it is simply not possible for government to wave an account book in front of them and expect a reasonable compromise. Emotions cannot be tackled by an accountant's rationality beyond a point.
That this issue has been ruined by politicians promising OROP when they are not in power or as an election sop when they are about to lose power is obvious. Narendra Modi promised it before the 2014 elections, and so did the UPA before bowing out. Two finance ministers, P Chidambaram and Arun Jaitley, also promised OROP in vague terms in their budgets.
However, the real issue is emotional for ex-servicemen. They love their ranks, and two people who retired with similar ranks do not like being treated differently. They are also emotional because politicians made open-ended promises to honour their wishes without calculating the costs. They thus feel cheated repeatedly. The ordinary citizen will also back them out of emotion - for no Indian is ungrateful to men in the army who put their lives on the line to defend the country.
When it is about pensioners, the decision is delayed. But, there was no delay in announcing sops for Bihar because election is coming.....
The road in front of Trivandrum Railway Station and Bus stand.
The workers and the people of Kerala in general responded to the call given by 10 trade unions.
Shops are closed. Auto-rikshaws, taxis, transport buses (KSRTC and private) all are off the road.
The Labour Bureau of India has released the Consumer Price Index for July 2015.
It is 263 Points.
If the Index remains at the same 263 level for August 2015, then, it is sure that the IDA rate from October will be increased at least by 5%.
Exact position can be told only on 30th September evening.
This is only a presumption with calculation of two months.
DA will increase.Some people will be happy.That is not the solution.
The price of many commodities is rising.
Purchasing power of workers and pensioners is decreasing day by day.
Government has totally failed to control price rise.
Everything is left to the market forces.
Recent crisis in China will adversely affect Indian economy too.
Hard days are ahead.
CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS FIRM ON STRIKE ON 2-9-2015
All the Central Trade Unions, barring BMS, have decided yesterday to go ahead the proposed general strike on 2nd September 2015. BMS has backed out after the talk with inrter-ministerial committee.
Government has come out with some offers to avoid the proposed general strike on 2-9-2015.
One offer is that the Ceilings for grant of bonus can be raised.
At present the eligibility ceiling is Rs 7000 per month. It may be raised Rs 21000.
The calculation ceiling for grant of bonus is Rs. 3500 now. It may be raised to Rs 7000.
Most of the central Trade Unions are not satisfied with the offer.
But, as we all know, it will not have any impact on BSNL staff
as Bonus is not being granted in BSNL for the last seven years.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on 26-8-2015 gave its approval for the extension of the term of the 7th Central Pay Commission by four months up to 31.12.2015.
The 7th Central Pay Commission was constituted by the Central Government on 28.2.2014. According to the Resolution dated 28.2.2014, by which the Commission was constituted, it is to make its recommendations within 18 months of the date of its constitution that is by 27th August, 2015.
In view of its volume of work and intensive stake-holders’ consultations, the 7th Central Pay Commission had made a request to the Government for a four month extension up to 31.12.2015.
