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AFTER LONG WAIT 2% DA/DR announced
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Happy Dhanteras
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Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief due from 01.07.2016 @ 2% - Approved by Cabinet - PIB
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Cabinet
27-October-2016 15:55 IST
Cabinet approves release of an instalment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to Pensioners due from 01.07.2016
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to release an instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to Pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2016 representing an increase of 2% of the revised Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise. The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs. 5622.10 crore per annum and in the Financial Year 2016-17 for the period of 8 months (i.e. from July 2016 to February 2017), it would be Rs.3748.06 crore. About 50.68 lakh Government employees and 54.24 lakh pensioners will be benefitted.
AKT/VBA/SH
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Madras HC Suggests Temporary Employee’s Widow’s Compassionate Appointment [Read Judgment] Read more at: http://www.livelaw.in/madras-hc-suggests-temporary-employees-widows-compassionate-appointment/
In a bid to commiserate with an aggrieved widow of a temporary municipality worker, who expired before regularization of his service, the Madras High Court has directed the authorities to consider her appeal for compassionate appointment to a temporary post as early as possible. The deceased’s wife had filed the writ petition seeking terminal benefits on the contention that he lost the chance of regularisation by a whisker; if alive he would have assuredly been placed as a regular employee on February 23, 2006. She filed an application on October 5, 2006, at the Commissioner of Municipal Administration seeking compassionate employment and to the Paramakudi Municipality seeking disbursal of terminal benefits. The appeals were rejected on the contention that he was not a regular employee at the time of death. A division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice J Nisha Banu, while passing the above order, however, dismissed her appeal against the court’s refusal to order the Commissioner of Municipal Administration and that of the Municipality to disburse terminal benefits, stating that the verdict was in tune with the rules as the petitioner’s husband had died on 29th January, 2006, which was before formal regularisation of his services. The court also stated that it could not pass orders for disbursal of terminal benefits as the petitioner had not challenged the order passed by Paramakudi Municipality Commissioner on March 30, 2007, rejecting her claim. The court stated: ‘As rightly pointed out by the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respondents that on the date of passing of the government order, the husband of the petitioner is no more, and though we sympathise with the appellant, in the absence of challenge to the order of the second respondent, dated 30.03.2007’ we cannot pass the orders. The division bench, however, advised the appellant that she was at liberty to challenge that order and may also submit a representation seeking temporary employment. It was ordered that such a request shall be sympathetically considered at the earliest.
Read more at: http://www.livelaw.in/madras-hc-suggests-temporary-employees-widows-compassionate-appointment/
Read more at: http://www.livelaw.in/madras-hc-suggests-temporary-employees-widows-compassionate-appointment/
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Temporary employee to be paid at par with regular worker: SC
Temporary employee to be paid at par with regular worker: SC
Amit Anand Choudhary| TNN | Updated: Oct 26, 2016, 23:17 IST
HIGHLIGHTS
Amit Anand Choudhary| TNN | Updated: Oct 26, 2016, 23:17 IST
HIGHLIGHTS
- SC said contractual employees are entitled to wages at par with permanent employee
- Principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ must be followed, SC said
- Undoubtedly, the action pf paying lesser wage is oppressive, the bench said
NEW DELHI: In a big relief to lakhs temporary employee who have been hired by government departments and agencies across the country on contractual basis, the Supreme Court on Wednesday held that they are entitled to wages at par with permanent employees and principle of 'equal pay for equal work' must be followed.
A bench of Justices JS Khehar and SA Bobde said the principle of 'equal pay for equal work' constitutes a clear and unambiguous right vested in every employee whether engaged on regular or temporary basis.
"In our considered view, it is fallacious to determine artificial parameters to deny fruits of labour. An employee engaged for the same work, cannot be paid less than another, who performs the same duties and responsibilities. Certainly not, in a welfare state. Such an action besides being demeaning, strikes at the very foundation of human dignity," the bench said.
The bench said the principle had been expounded through a large number of judgments rendered by the apex court and and constitutes law declared by the Supreme Court.
"Any one, who is compelled to work at a lesser wage, does not do so voluntarily. He does so, to provide food and shelter to his family, at the cost of his self respect and dignity, at the cost of his self worth, and at the cost of his integrity. For he knows, that his dependents would suffer immensely, if he does not accept the lesser wage," Justice Khehar, who wrote the judgement, said.
"Any act, of paying less wages, as compared to others similarly situate, constitutes an act of exploitative enslavement, emerging out of a domineering position. Undoubtedly, the action is oppressive, suppressive and coercive, as it compels involuntary subjugation," he said.
The court passed the verdict on a bunch of petition filed by tempoary employee working for state of Punjab seeking wage parity with regular employee. They approached the apex court after Punjab and Haryana High Court held that temporary employees were not entitled to the minimum of the regular pay-scale, merely for reason, that the activities carried on by them and the regular employees were similar.
Setting aside the HC order, the apex court held that the principle of equal pay for equal work must be followed in the country as India was a signatory of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
"There can be no doubt, that the principle of equal pay for equal work would be applicable to all the concerned temporary employees, so as to vest in them the right to claim wages, at par with the minimum of the pay-scale of regularly engaged government employees, holding the same post,"it said.
"India is a signatory to the covenant, having ratified the same on April 10, 1979. There is no escape from the above obligation, in view of different provisions of the Constitution and in view of the law declared by this court under Article 141 of the Constitution of India, the principle of 'equal pay for equal work' constitutes a clear and unambiguous right and is vested in every employee - whether engaged on regular or temporary basis,"it said.
Read at: Times of India
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SC JUDGMENT IN SLP 22402 OF 2015- DARSHAN LAL CASE
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SC DISMISSAL OF RLY SLP 4943- 2012 JUDW CASE copy
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PH HC JDGMENT 29 JAN 2015 DARSHAN LAL MISTRY CASE
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OA 655 CAT DELHI JUDGMENT 1.11.2011
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Proceedings of the Workshop for Banks on monitoring the pensioners grievances through "Web Responsive Pensioners' Service" held on 03.10.2016 at SWASTI Conference Hall of Mahalekha Niyantrak Bhawan
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Crediting of enhanced Medical Allowance to the pensioners account by Banks.
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Proceedings of the Workshop for CCAs on monitoring the pensioners grievances and uploading of retirees list through 'Web Responsive Pensioners' Service' held on 05.10.2016 at SWASTI Conference Hall of Mahalekha Niyantrak Bhawan
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Happy Deepawali
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Supreme Court Judgement
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Secretary General’s Draft Report to 61st BPS AGM to be held on 13.11.2016 at New Delhi
Respected distinguished Guests, BPS Office-bearers, Managing Committee members, Delegates, Brothers & Sisters,I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to this 61st AGM of Bharat Pensioners Samaj Federation here at Delhi. I seek your kind permission to submit this report in this august house. Our 60th AGM was held at Amritsar on 29.11.2015. With a view to providing more convenience to the participants, we have organized this AGM at Delhi in the spacious Mavalankar Hall in Constitution Club in spite of the high cost. I, on behalf of BPS, express my sincere thanks to all of you for coming all the way from different parts of the country and making this AGM a great success. I am also thankful to Punjab National Bank & Portea Medical who are co-sponsoring this 61st BPS AGM.
As you all know, Federation Bharat Pensioners Samaj is a non-political, non-profitable and non-governmental organisation with sole mission to bring 57 lac of CG pensioners, 80 lac state Govt. pensioners & 45 lac EPS 95 pensioners together and to ensure their welfare with respect to Financial security, Healthcare & Social security. As a step towards this goal, BPS with its over 680 affiliate and associate associations, has MOU with AISCCON, AIFPA & NFRP to struggle jointly and severally for common issues. Together with MOU Partners, Affiliates and Associates, today we represent over 20 lac Sr. citizens/Pensioners. We have also given an open invitation to all other organisations with similar thinking to join with us as MOU partners/affiliates.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj submitted its Memorandum to the 7th CPC on 25.5.2014 raising 24 issues relating to Pension & Healthcare. National Council Joint Consultative Machinery (NCJCM-Staff Side) also supported our demands through their Memorandum. 7th CPC invited BPS on 23.7.2014 and again on 17.2.2015 for discussions on the demands raised. Pay Commission listened to us very patiently with their positive response on several issues prompting us to have high expectations. The Commission submitted its report on 19.11.2015. But alas! Inspite of the fact that the 7th CPC agreed to several of our demands in principle, the final outcome has not been very encouraging.
After the declaration of 7th CPC recommendations, the period between 60th to this 61st AGM has been very crucial with several new challenges thrown up. Alongwith several other demands we had represented that wide gulf between minimum and maximum paid should be narrowed down and brought back to 1.7.1996 level of 1:8 and a common multiplication factor for revision of pay and pension be worked out so that everyone gets a uniform raise. BPS for the past over 30 years has been struggling for 100% parity i.e. OROP for every pensioner. At the same time, we represented to the 7thCPC (as also to earlier CPCsS) also that there should be 100% parity between pre and post CPCs Pensioners.
Instead of reducing the gap this Commission further raised it to 1:13.88 and worked out 2.57 as common multiplication factor (CMF) for all, gave a parity formula through notional fixation of pay & accepted our demand for merging postal dispensaries with CGHS.
Evidently, the Pay Commission did in principle accept our submissions, regarding CMF and parity between pre & post 2016 retirees. But the multiplication factor of 2.57 is very much on the lower side. It is a ratio between minimum revised pay of Rs18,000/ & existing minimum pay of 7,000/- which, after 10 years gives a raise of 14.29% i.e. 1.429 % per year. Even for the existing employees, it comes to the same & even if, in case working employees, their 3% per year increment is added, it is a raise of 4.29 % per year which is not only historically low in past 70 years which any Govt. has given but also much less than that of any Private sector enterprise. And yet, the media created a big hype and thrown up false perception in the Civil Society that the pay of C.G. employees has been raised from Rs 7,000/- to 18,000/- and that Pension is raised from Rs3,500/- to 9,000/- which, according to them, was too much, rather extravagant for the govt. employees whom they consider to be inefficient and what not! Forgetting that raise is from Rs15,750/- to 18,000/- and that final take home advantage after deductions is only Rs 500/- per month after 10 years. Similarly, in case of pensioners it is 7,875/- to 9,000/- after a gap of 10 years i.e. an increase of Rs112.5 Per year. This has happened because of incorrect calculation of minimum revised salary resulted not only by adoption of lower prices of commodities but also due to adoption of Dr. Aykroyd formula of 1948 without updating it. It is surprising as to how a gender-biased 1948 formula adopted by Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in 1957S, without updating it, in the digital India of 2016. In today’s scenario, how can the Indian Civil Society accept a formula for minimum requirement which treats the lady of the house as 0.8 unit compared to the adult male of the house as 1(one) unit. Further, this formula does not at all take into consideration the minimum requirement of today’s 21st century Digital India i.e. a smart mobile phone with an internet connection, I Pad etc. Considering the wife to be .8 unit is a gender bias indicating colonial mindset of Dr Aykroyd. In the present scenario, a wife too puts in the same amount, in fact rather more, of physical and intellectual work as compared to the husband. She needs more nutrients and healthcare to keep herself fit to be a mother and as an educationist for her school going children. She needs better clothing than 1957. A lady whether she is a wife of a labourer or of a Secretary to Govt. of India, has a basic right to keep herself reasonably presentable for which she needs some minimum add-ons. As such treating her to be less than a unit is gross injustice, gender bias and unconstitutional. Similarly, growing children of upto 14 years of age need more of proteins, fats & carbohydrates, need to take sufficient exercise & field activities for healthy growth. Today they need much better and more clothing, better education & healthcare compared to the 50s. The Nation needs healthy and stout young citizens. It is against the National interest to restrict their need-based minimum requirement to .6 unit.
Thus BPS submitted a Memorandum to the Govt. that the Minimum Salary & correspondingly the fitment benefit of 2.57 need an upward revision. As of now, the Govt. has referred the issue to a committee and the outcome is still awaited.
BPS asks the media, the Civil society & the Govt that, if govt employees are/were not working then who has been/is running the Govt, the Railways, the ordnance Factories, the Post Offices, Income-Tax & other establishments and how the country is progressing and getting transformed and GDP growing at globally top rate?
Similarly, in respect of Pensioners, Bharat Pensioners Samaj wants the media, the civil society, the Govt and all those who consider pension to be a burden on the exchequer to understand that existing pensioners were never a burden on exchequer and that their pension is not completely a non-contributory defined benefit. While in service, they contributed sufficiently well towards their pension and it is their deferred wage which is now being paid after their retirement. As significantly pointed out by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, Pensioners while in service let the Govt keep 8.33% (with interest) of their salary every month and, by any conservative estimate, cumulatively today this amount stands at more than Rs. 3,75,000/- crores. Over 33% pension expenditure can easily be met with the interest on this amount.
As far back as 17.12.1982, Constitution Bench of the Apex Court in case of D S Nakara vs UOI (AIR1983,SC130) ruled “that pension is neither a bounty nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of employer …..(Para 186 SC judgement & Para 127.5 Vth CPC)”. It has been earned by the sweat of their brow (employee)….. (Para 127.6 Vth CPC)” . It is a deferred wage and that pension should be such that pensioner is able to live with the ‘standard equivalent at pre-retiral level’….. (Para 184 of SC judgement,7th CPC Para 10.1.4 & Paras 127.3 to 127.6 of Vth CPC report Part III). 5th CPC had appointed TECS (Tata Economic Consultancy Services) as consultants who suggested 67% of the last pay drawn (LPD) to be the pension (Para 127.9 of 5th CPC report). The Govt. has been paying us only 50% of LPD & 17% of LPD, still continues to contribute towards pension.
Present-day pensioners while in service worked on pay scales which were intentionally designed at lower level to cater for Pension. Govt. of India’s 6th CPC sponsored a study on retirement benefits of Central Government employees in 2007 by Dr Gayithri of Centre of Economic Studies & Policy, Institute for Social Economic Change, Bangalore. It came out in her report that the pay scales of pensionable Govt employees were intentionally designed at lower level to cater for pension after retirement. (Chapter 2 page 22-24). Going down the memory lanes we remember that during our service lives whenever, the Trade Unions, on the basis of the equal work equal pay formula, demanded parity in pay with PSUs, the Govt. replied that as pension is to be paid after retirement, Govt. employees pay cannot be at par with PSUs.
The senior citizens’ corner in the pensioners’ portal of the Government of India reads as follows: “Senior citizens are a treasure to our society. They have worked hard all these years for the development of the nation as well as the community. They possess a vast experience in different walks of life. At this stage, they need to be taken care of and made to feel special.” True after independence, by the dint of their hard work, today’s pensioners have considerably contributed to whatever progress the country has made since then . Even today, pensioners make endless contributions to their families, communities and society. They contribute as family caregivers, as workers, consumers, volunteers and taxpayers. Our affiliates/associates & members have been motivating pensioners to indulge in social welfare of the civil society. Whenever there is a natural calamity, pensioners come forward not only with monetary assistance but physically and emotionally also they stand shoulder to shoulder with civil administration and the fellow citizens in distress. With our enthusiastic motivation, Pensioners are coming forward to donate not only organs but even their whole bodies so that someone, after their departure, can survive to see this beautiful world. Several of our affiliates are monetarily helping underprivileged children to continue their studies. Similarly, poor ladies in distress are being helped to earn honourable living. Thus, we are not a burden on the exchequer, society or the govt. Even in our death we are able to give life to 5 persons.
On the issue of 100% parity : The 7th CPC recommended vide their Para 10.1.67 that: All the civilian personnel including CAPF who retired prior to 01.01.2016 shall first be fixed in the Pay Matrix recommended by the Commission, on the basis of the Pay Band and Grade Pay at which they retired, at the minimum of the corresponding level in the matrix. This amount shall be raised, to arrive at the notional pay of the retiree, by adding the number of increments he/she had earned in that level while in service, at the rate of three percent. Fifty percent of the total amount so arrived at shall be the revised pension. To this Govt. said, “it may not be feasible to implement” and wanted to reject the recommendation outright. However, on NC-JCM (Staff Side) & BPS insistence this recommendation has been accepted by the Govt. subject to feasibility. On this issue we could reach consensus with S 30 & S 29 Associations and have represented that the required records are available in 95% cases (Govt has subsequently accepted during the meeting with NC-JCM on 6.10.2016 that records are available in 82 % cases) & the remaining can be recast. If in any case records are not available & cannot be recast, the LPD which is invariably available in PPOs, can be updated Pay Commission after Pay Commission & can be placed at appropriate level in Pay Matrix. Thus, the recommendation, can easily be implemented. But the DOP&PW is still insisting that it will not be feasible and is pushing for modified parity of 5th CPC.
Currently this issue too alongwith upward revision of FMA, is under consideration of committees constituted for this purpose and we will have to wait for the outcome..
Bharat Pensioners Samaj supports the stand taken by them vide their letter No NC-JCM-2016/7thCPC(pension) dated 17th Oct 2016. i.e. To determine the Pension based on the suggestion placed by the Pension Department on 6.10.2016 i.e. notional pay in Seventh CPC is arrived by applying formula for pay revision for serving employees in each Pay Commission and giving 50% of this notional pay w/o any cap as pension to all pre-2016 Pensioners/family pensioners, if that becomes beneficial to them as 3rd option.
However, 3rd option i.e. ( c) will not be accepted as a replacement to option No1 i.e. (b).
On the issue of Healthcare : Responding to our (BPS’) pleadings, the 7th CPC in their para 9.1.18( i),(ii) & (iii) has recorded:
1. The Commission strongly recommends the introduction of health insurance scheme for Central Government employees and pensioners. In the interregnum, for the benefit of pensioners residing outside the CGHS areas, the Commission recommends that CGHS should empanel those hospitals which are already empanelled under CS (MA)/ECHS for catering to the medical requirement of these pensioners on a cashless basis. This would involve strengthening of administrative capacity of nearest CGHS centers. However, this step will go a long way in ameliorating the pending grievances of these pensioners.
2. The Commission recommends that the remaining 33 postal dispensaries should be merged with CGHS. The Commission further recommends that all postal pensioners, irrespective of their participation in CGHS while in service, should be covered under CGHS after making requisite subscription.
3. Currently, there are various health care schemes in the Central Government catering tospecific sets of employees. For example, apart from CGHS, there are Ex-ServicemenContributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and Railways Employees Liberalized HealthScheme (RELHS) which cover the Ex-servicemen and Railway employees/pensioners,respectively. Although the patterns in these schemes vary, a combined entity of CGHS, ECHS-RELHS would result in a very strong network of health facilities for the CentralGovernment employees across the length and breadth of the country. The Commission recommends that possibility of such a combined network of various medicalschemes should be explored through proper examination.
About the other issues we have regularly been publishing in our monthly magazine ‘Bharat Pensioner’, in our blog, website, Facebook & Twitter. You can also refer to BPS’ latest publication ‘7th CPC & Beyond’ which has been sent to you separately by registered post.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj has taken on its shoulders the responsibility of creating the awareness & consolidation of pensioners’ campaign alongwith its MOU partners AIFPA & NFRP. In an attempt to effectively connect to BPS affiliates & Associates at the ground level the Secy Genl BPS has visited Guwahati, Lumding, Muzaffar Nagar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ambala, Palghat & Thrissur in the current year itself. V P (SZ) Somasekhra Rao has toured Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & parts of Tamil Nadu. V P (WZ) J N Rao has covered most of his jurisdiction in Maharashtra. RLNM Ratnam Secy (State Pensioners)& S S Dubey MCM toured several states to consolidate state pensioners’ movement, with the result ‘All India Federation of State Pensioners’, an affiliate of BPS held its first ever Convention at Hyderabad on 12.6.2016 which was attended by delegates from 19 States. Prakash Yende Secy (EPS 95) along with Mohamad Yunus, Prakash Pathak & P N Pandey have gone an extra mile to consolidate EPS 95 Pensioners who are the worst sufferers as over 28 lac of them still get Rs 1,000/- & less monthly pension. In N E region VP (NE) Yaisukul Singh and S M Kanjilal MCM have covered the entire N.E. region.
BPS Secy ( Rlys Pensioners) at New Jalpaiguri & VP (WZ) J N Rao have been doing yeomen service to Rly Pensioners and have resolved a number of difficult cases. D D. Mistry Secy (BSNL/PSUs), Secy (Defence Civilians), Onkar Singh & Secy (Postal& Others), M Chandramowli have been working with great zeal to attend to the grievances of pensioners of their respective departments.
At the HQ level Editor M M Kapur, defeating age & disease, is working day and night for constant improvement & timely publication of our monthly magazine ‘Bharat Pensioner’ with N.C. Gupta supporting as editor Hindi and K L Malhotra Secy (PR) monitoring the dispatch of the magazine. On account of M M Kapur’s daunting will-power and dedication, BPS could recently publish Special Supplement ‘7th CPC & Beyond’ which was sent by registered Book Post to all affiliates / members with a request to send Rs 200/- towards the cost of printing, postage etc. R.K. Nanda MCM is very well managing the grievance redressal desk & has been resolving individual pensioner’s grievances through online portals’. Harchandan Singh ASG has been helping in drafting and pursuing memoranda on different issues being taken up by BPS. Treasurer Rameshwar Kumar, besides keeping a hawk’s eye on the accounts, is always ready to perform any additional work involving even outdoor jobs. From time to time, JGS Pooran Lal has been taking trouble to come all the way from Agra to check & keep on track the accounts. Ladies & gentlemen, without field support office administration alone cannot successfully run such a big organisation, so here is MCM P N Sharma and all others office bearers & managing committee members who are always on the beck and call.
BPS has been effectively using its social media platform and monthly magazine for dissemination of information & spreading awareness among pensioners.During the period under report BPS took up several important issues like PAN India Smart Card for RELHS beneficiaries, restoration of 2/3rd commutation to PSU absorbees, corresponding 5th CPC scales for specified categories, application of 7th CPC benefits to autonomous bodies, upward revision of FMA, exclusion of Railway employees from the purview of NPS etc.etc .
Ladies & gentlemen! A situation has arisen where the Govt. and administration are not listening & caring for pensioners who are essentially the Sr Citizens. Then what needs to be done :-
The Way Out
Short term action plan- BPS suggests that:
(i) Social Media: Pensioners should come on social media en-mass to highlight their issues, entitlements & justifications therefor;
(ii) Own Print and Other Media: Pensioners’ organisations should use their own print media, websites & blogs to consolidate and spread awareness among pensioner community; and
(iii) Demonstration at ‘Jantar Mantar’ New Delhi: BPS call upon its MOU partners,affiliates, associates &members to get ready to join hands and to come to Jantar Mantar New Delhi in large numbers to participate in the mass demonstration to highlight their issues in early 2017.
Long term action plan : There is need to organize the entire gamut of the Senior Citizen community:
Ladies & gentlemen, We are retired but not tired the total strength of pensioners in the country is 1crore 82 lac 61 thousand:
Defence pensioners/family pensioners = 18,60,000
Defence civilian Pensioners = 5,55,000
Rly Pensioners/family pensioners = 13,75,000
Central Govt. Civil Pensioners/family pensioners = 10,81,000
Postal pensioners = 3,25,000
State Govt. Pensioners = 79,15,000
EPS 95 Pensioners = 44,50,000
PSU pensioners = 7,00,000
adding them, figure goes to = 1,82,61,000
Elderly population (20016) = 123 million
Elderly Electoral strength (2014 ) = 100 million
National Voting average (2014) = 66.4 %
Elderly Voting average = 90%
Effective %age of Elderly votes = 16.6% (2014)
Our aim should be to consolidate 123 million Sr. Citizen voters through 18.261 million pensioners to make Govt. & the political parties to listen to us and to take care of the entire community of Sr Citizens. The sooner we start working to achieve this goal, the better it is for all of us as this is the only way out to make governments take due care of our woes and problems.
Brothers &sisters! I thank SShri Shyam Sunder President and K C Pipal, Working President who have been the guiding stars to me and to the organization. I thank all of you for your cooperation and support afforded to me so far.
Jai Hind !
S.C.Maheshwari
S.G. Bharat Pensioners Samaj
As you all know, Federation Bharat Pensioners Samaj is a non-political, non-profitable and non-governmental organisation with sole mission to bring 57 lac of CG pensioners, 80 lac state Govt. pensioners & 45 lac EPS 95 pensioners together and to ensure their welfare with respect to Financial security, Healthcare & Social security. As a step towards this goal, BPS with its over 680 affiliate and associate associations, has MOU with AISCCON, AIFPA & NFRP to struggle jointly and severally for common issues. Together with MOU Partners, Affiliates and Associates, today we represent over 20 lac Sr. citizens/Pensioners. We have also given an open invitation to all other organisations with similar thinking to join with us as MOU partners/affiliates.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj submitted its Memorandum to the 7th CPC on 25.5.2014 raising 24 issues relating to Pension & Healthcare. National Council Joint Consultative Machinery (NCJCM-Staff Side) also supported our demands through their Memorandum. 7th CPC invited BPS on 23.7.2014 and again on 17.2.2015 for discussions on the demands raised. Pay Commission listened to us very patiently with their positive response on several issues prompting us to have high expectations. The Commission submitted its report on 19.11.2015. But alas! Inspite of the fact that the 7th CPC agreed to several of our demands in principle, the final outcome has not been very encouraging.
After the declaration of 7th CPC recommendations, the period between 60th to this 61st AGM has been very crucial with several new challenges thrown up. Alongwith several other demands we had represented that wide gulf between minimum and maximum paid should be narrowed down and brought back to 1.7.1996 level of 1:8 and a common multiplication factor for revision of pay and pension be worked out so that everyone gets a uniform raise. BPS for the past over 30 years has been struggling for 100% parity i.e. OROP for every pensioner. At the same time, we represented to the 7thCPC (as also to earlier CPCsS) also that there should be 100% parity between pre and post CPCs Pensioners.
Instead of reducing the gap this Commission further raised it to 1:13.88 and worked out 2.57 as common multiplication factor (CMF) for all, gave a parity formula through notional fixation of pay & accepted our demand for merging postal dispensaries with CGHS.
Evidently, the Pay Commission did in principle accept our submissions, regarding CMF and parity between pre & post 2016 retirees. But the multiplication factor of 2.57 is very much on the lower side. It is a ratio between minimum revised pay of Rs18,000/ & existing minimum pay of 7,000/- which, after 10 years gives a raise of 14.29% i.e. 1.429 % per year. Even for the existing employees, it comes to the same & even if, in case working employees, their 3% per year increment is added, it is a raise of 4.29 % per year which is not only historically low in past 70 years which any Govt. has given but also much less than that of any Private sector enterprise. And yet, the media created a big hype and thrown up false perception in the Civil Society that the pay of C.G. employees has been raised from Rs 7,000/- to 18,000/- and that Pension is raised from Rs3,500/- to 9,000/- which, according to them, was too much, rather extravagant for the govt. employees whom they consider to be inefficient and what not! Forgetting that raise is from Rs15,750/- to 18,000/- and that final take home advantage after deductions is only Rs 500/- per month after 10 years. Similarly, in case of pensioners it is 7,875/- to 9,000/- after a gap of 10 years i.e. an increase of Rs112.5 Per year. This has happened because of incorrect calculation of minimum revised salary resulted not only by adoption of lower prices of commodities but also due to adoption of Dr. Aykroyd formula of 1948 without updating it. It is surprising as to how a gender-biased 1948 formula adopted by Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in 1957S, without updating it, in the digital India of 2016. In today’s scenario, how can the Indian Civil Society accept a formula for minimum requirement which treats the lady of the house as 0.8 unit compared to the adult male of the house as 1(one) unit. Further, this formula does not at all take into consideration the minimum requirement of today’s 21st century Digital India i.e. a smart mobile phone with an internet connection, I Pad etc. Considering the wife to be .8 unit is a gender bias indicating colonial mindset of Dr Aykroyd. In the present scenario, a wife too puts in the same amount, in fact rather more, of physical and intellectual work as compared to the husband. She needs more nutrients and healthcare to keep herself fit to be a mother and as an educationist for her school going children. She needs better clothing than 1957. A lady whether she is a wife of a labourer or of a Secretary to Govt. of India, has a basic right to keep herself reasonably presentable for which she needs some minimum add-ons. As such treating her to be less than a unit is gross injustice, gender bias and unconstitutional. Similarly, growing children of upto 14 years of age need more of proteins, fats & carbohydrates, need to take sufficient exercise & field activities for healthy growth. Today they need much better and more clothing, better education & healthcare compared to the 50s. The Nation needs healthy and stout young citizens. It is against the National interest to restrict their need-based minimum requirement to .6 unit.
Thus BPS submitted a Memorandum to the Govt. that the Minimum Salary & correspondingly the fitment benefit of 2.57 need an upward revision. As of now, the Govt. has referred the issue to a committee and the outcome is still awaited.
BPS asks the media, the Civil society & the Govt that, if govt employees are/were not working then who has been/is running the Govt, the Railways, the ordnance Factories, the Post Offices, Income-Tax & other establishments and how the country is progressing and getting transformed and GDP growing at globally top rate?
Similarly, in respect of Pensioners, Bharat Pensioners Samaj wants the media, the civil society, the Govt and all those who consider pension to be a burden on the exchequer to understand that existing pensioners were never a burden on exchequer and that their pension is not completely a non-contributory defined benefit. While in service, they contributed sufficiently well towards their pension and it is their deferred wage which is now being paid after their retirement. As significantly pointed out by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, Pensioners while in service let the Govt keep 8.33% (with interest) of their salary every month and, by any conservative estimate, cumulatively today this amount stands at more than Rs. 3,75,000/- crores. Over 33% pension expenditure can easily be met with the interest on this amount.
As far back as 17.12.1982, Constitution Bench of the Apex Court in case of D S Nakara vs UOI (AIR1983,SC130) ruled “that pension is neither a bounty nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of employer …..(Para 186 SC judgement & Para 127.5 Vth CPC)”. It has been earned by the sweat of their brow (employee)….. (Para 127.6 Vth CPC)” . It is a deferred wage and that pension should be such that pensioner is able to live with the ‘standard equivalent at pre-retiral level’….. (Para 184 of SC judgement,7th CPC Para 10.1.4 & Paras 127.3 to 127.6 of Vth CPC report Part III). 5th CPC had appointed TECS (Tata Economic Consultancy Services) as consultants who suggested 67% of the last pay drawn (LPD) to be the pension (Para 127.9 of 5th CPC report). The Govt. has been paying us only 50% of LPD & 17% of LPD, still continues to contribute towards pension.
Present-day pensioners while in service worked on pay scales which were intentionally designed at lower level to cater for Pension. Govt. of India’s 6th CPC sponsored a study on retirement benefits of Central Government employees in 2007 by Dr Gayithri of Centre of Economic Studies & Policy, Institute for Social Economic Change, Bangalore. It came out in her report that the pay scales of pensionable Govt employees were intentionally designed at lower level to cater for pension after retirement. (Chapter 2 page 22-24). Going down the memory lanes we remember that during our service lives whenever, the Trade Unions, on the basis of the equal work equal pay formula, demanded parity in pay with PSUs, the Govt. replied that as pension is to be paid after retirement, Govt. employees pay cannot be at par with PSUs.
The senior citizens’ corner in the pensioners’ portal of the Government of India reads as follows: “Senior citizens are a treasure to our society. They have worked hard all these years for the development of the nation as well as the community. They possess a vast experience in different walks of life. At this stage, they need to be taken care of and made to feel special.” True after independence, by the dint of their hard work, today’s pensioners have considerably contributed to whatever progress the country has made since then . Even today, pensioners make endless contributions to their families, communities and society. They contribute as family caregivers, as workers, consumers, volunteers and taxpayers. Our affiliates/associates & members have been motivating pensioners to indulge in social welfare of the civil society. Whenever there is a natural calamity, pensioners come forward not only with monetary assistance but physically and emotionally also they stand shoulder to shoulder with civil administration and the fellow citizens in distress. With our enthusiastic motivation, Pensioners are coming forward to donate not only organs but even their whole bodies so that someone, after their departure, can survive to see this beautiful world. Several of our affiliates are monetarily helping underprivileged children to continue their studies. Similarly, poor ladies in distress are being helped to earn honourable living. Thus, we are not a burden on the exchequer, society or the govt. Even in our death we are able to give life to 5 persons.
On the issue of 100% parity : The 7th CPC recommended vide their Para 10.1.67 that: All the civilian personnel including CAPF who retired prior to 01.01.2016 shall first be fixed in the Pay Matrix recommended by the Commission, on the basis of the Pay Band and Grade Pay at which they retired, at the minimum of the corresponding level in the matrix. This amount shall be raised, to arrive at the notional pay of the retiree, by adding the number of increments he/she had earned in that level while in service, at the rate of three percent. Fifty percent of the total amount so arrived at shall be the revised pension. To this Govt. said, “it may not be feasible to implement” and wanted to reject the recommendation outright. However, on NC-JCM (Staff Side) & BPS insistence this recommendation has been accepted by the Govt. subject to feasibility. On this issue we could reach consensus with S 30 & S 29 Associations and have represented that the required records are available in 95% cases (Govt has subsequently accepted during the meeting with NC-JCM on 6.10.2016 that records are available in 82 % cases) & the remaining can be recast. If in any case records are not available & cannot be recast, the LPD which is invariably available in PPOs, can be updated Pay Commission after Pay Commission & can be placed at appropriate level in Pay Matrix. Thus, the recommendation, can easily be implemented. But the DOP&PW is still insisting that it will not be feasible and is pushing for modified parity of 5th CPC.
Currently this issue too alongwith upward revision of FMA, is under consideration of committees constituted for this purpose and we will have to wait for the outcome..
Bharat Pensioners Samaj supports the stand taken by them vide their letter No NC-JCM-2016/7thCPC(pension) dated 17th Oct 2016. i.e. To determine the Pension based on the suggestion placed by the Pension Department on 6.10.2016 i.e. notional pay in Seventh CPC is arrived by applying formula for pay revision for serving employees in each Pay Commission and giving 50% of this notional pay w/o any cap as pension to all pre-2016 Pensioners/family pensioners, if that becomes beneficial to them as 3rd option.
However, 3rd option i.e. ( c) will not be accepted as a replacement to option No1 i.e. (b).
On the issue of Healthcare : Responding to our (BPS’) pleadings, the 7th CPC in their para 9.1.18( i),(ii) & (iii) has recorded:
1. The Commission strongly recommends the introduction of health insurance scheme for Central Government employees and pensioners. In the interregnum, for the benefit of pensioners residing outside the CGHS areas, the Commission recommends that CGHS should empanel those hospitals which are already empanelled under CS (MA)/ECHS for catering to the medical requirement of these pensioners on a cashless basis. This would involve strengthening of administrative capacity of nearest CGHS centers. However, this step will go a long way in ameliorating the pending grievances of these pensioners.
2. The Commission recommends that the remaining 33 postal dispensaries should be merged with CGHS. The Commission further recommends that all postal pensioners, irrespective of their participation in CGHS while in service, should be covered under CGHS after making requisite subscription.
3. Currently, there are various health care schemes in the Central Government catering tospecific sets of employees. For example, apart from CGHS, there are Ex-ServicemenContributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and Railways Employees Liberalized HealthScheme (RELHS) which cover the Ex-servicemen and Railway employees/pensioners,respectively. Although the patterns in these schemes vary, a combined entity of CGHS, ECHS-RELHS would result in a very strong network of health facilities for the CentralGovernment employees across the length and breadth of the country. The Commission recommends that possibility of such a combined network of various medicalschemes should be explored through proper examination.
About the other issues we have regularly been publishing in our monthly magazine ‘Bharat Pensioner’, in our blog, website, Facebook & Twitter. You can also refer to BPS’ latest publication ‘7th CPC & Beyond’ which has been sent to you separately by registered post.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj has taken on its shoulders the responsibility of creating the awareness & consolidation of pensioners’ campaign alongwith its MOU partners AIFPA & NFRP. In an attempt to effectively connect to BPS affiliates & Associates at the ground level the Secy Genl BPS has visited Guwahati, Lumding, Muzaffar Nagar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ambala, Palghat & Thrissur in the current year itself. V P (SZ) Somasekhra Rao has toured Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & parts of Tamil Nadu. V P (WZ) J N Rao has covered most of his jurisdiction in Maharashtra. RLNM Ratnam Secy (State Pensioners)& S S Dubey MCM toured several states to consolidate state pensioners’ movement, with the result ‘All India Federation of State Pensioners’, an affiliate of BPS held its first ever Convention at Hyderabad on 12.6.2016 which was attended by delegates from 19 States. Prakash Yende Secy (EPS 95) along with Mohamad Yunus, Prakash Pathak & P N Pandey have gone an extra mile to consolidate EPS 95 Pensioners who are the worst sufferers as over 28 lac of them still get Rs 1,000/- & less monthly pension. In N E region VP (NE) Yaisukul Singh and S M Kanjilal MCM have covered the entire N.E. region.
BPS Secy ( Rlys Pensioners) at New Jalpaiguri & VP (WZ) J N Rao have been doing yeomen service to Rly Pensioners and have resolved a number of difficult cases. D D. Mistry Secy (BSNL/PSUs), Secy (Defence Civilians), Onkar Singh & Secy (Postal& Others), M Chandramowli have been working with great zeal to attend to the grievances of pensioners of their respective departments.
At the HQ level Editor M M Kapur, defeating age & disease, is working day and night for constant improvement & timely publication of our monthly magazine ‘Bharat Pensioner’ with N.C. Gupta supporting as editor Hindi and K L Malhotra Secy (PR) monitoring the dispatch of the magazine. On account of M M Kapur’s daunting will-power and dedication, BPS could recently publish Special Supplement ‘7th CPC & Beyond’ which was sent by registered Book Post to all affiliates / members with a request to send Rs 200/- towards the cost of printing, postage etc. R.K. Nanda MCM is very well managing the grievance redressal desk & has been resolving individual pensioner’s grievances through online portals’. Harchandan Singh ASG has been helping in drafting and pursuing memoranda on different issues being taken up by BPS. Treasurer Rameshwar Kumar, besides keeping a hawk’s eye on the accounts, is always ready to perform any additional work involving even outdoor jobs. From time to time, JGS Pooran Lal has been taking trouble to come all the way from Agra to check & keep on track the accounts. Ladies & gentlemen, without field support office administration alone cannot successfully run such a big organisation, so here is MCM P N Sharma and all others office bearers & managing committee members who are always on the beck and call.
BPS has been effectively using its social media platform and monthly magazine for dissemination of information & spreading awareness among pensioners.During the period under report BPS took up several important issues like PAN India Smart Card for RELHS beneficiaries, restoration of 2/3rd commutation to PSU absorbees, corresponding 5th CPC scales for specified categories, application of 7th CPC benefits to autonomous bodies, upward revision of FMA, exclusion of Railway employees from the purview of NPS etc.etc .
Ladies & gentlemen! A situation has arisen where the Govt. and administration are not listening & caring for pensioners who are essentially the Sr Citizens. Then what needs to be done :-
The Way Out
Short term action plan- BPS suggests that:
(i) Social Media: Pensioners should come on social media en-mass to highlight their issues, entitlements & justifications therefor;
(ii) Own Print and Other Media: Pensioners’ organisations should use their own print media, websites & blogs to consolidate and spread awareness among pensioner community; and
(iii) Demonstration at ‘Jantar Mantar’ New Delhi: BPS call upon its MOU partners,affiliates, associates &members to get ready to join hands and to come to Jantar Mantar New Delhi in large numbers to participate in the mass demonstration to highlight their issues in early 2017.
Long term action plan : There is need to organize the entire gamut of the Senior Citizen community:
Ladies & gentlemen, We are retired but not tired the total strength of pensioners in the country is 1crore 82 lac 61 thousand:
Defence pensioners/family pensioners = 18,60,000
Defence civilian Pensioners = 5,55,000
Rly Pensioners/family pensioners = 13,75,000
Central Govt. Civil Pensioners/family pensioners = 10,81,000
Postal pensioners = 3,25,000
State Govt. Pensioners = 79,15,000
EPS 95 Pensioners = 44,50,000
PSU pensioners = 7,00,000
adding them, figure goes to = 1,82,61,000
Elderly population (20016) = 123 million
Elderly Electoral strength (2014 ) = 100 million
National Voting average (2014) = 66.4 %
Elderly Voting average = 90%
Effective %age of Elderly votes = 16.6% (2014)
Our aim should be to consolidate 123 million Sr. Citizen voters through 18.261 million pensioners to make Govt. & the political parties to listen to us and to take care of the entire community of Sr Citizens. The sooner we start working to achieve this goal, the better it is for all of us as this is the only way out to make governments take due care of our woes and problems.
Brothers &sisters! I thank SShri Shyam Sunder President and K C Pipal, Working President who have been the guiding stars to me and to the organization. I thank all of you for your cooperation and support afforded to me so far.
Jai Hind !
S.C.Maheshwari
S.G. Bharat Pensioners Samaj
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Proposed welcome speech of Shri M M Kapur Chairman Reception Committee 61st AGM of BPS to be held on 13.11.2016
Chief Guest shri Shiv Gopal Mishra, Genl Secy NCJCM (Staff Side); Special Guest of Honour Sh Sanjai Singh Chief Controller (pensions) M/o Finance DOE; Special Invitees: s/Sh D N Chapke, K C K Menon, Dr Abha Choudhary, Dr Alakananda Banerjee & D Balasubramaniyam; invitees sitting in front of me; octogenarians members of BPS;dignatories on the dias office bearers & MC members BPS, office bearers & delegates from Affiliates & Associates, Pensioner Brothers & Sisters, Ladies & Gentlemen.
Namaste, Good morning. On behalf of Prez, Secy Genl and BPS Managing Committee, I welcome you all to 61st AGM of Bharat Pensioners Samaj being held to-day on 13th November, 2016 at Constitution Club, Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi. This AGM is a mega meet and has assumed great importance as it would be discussing the outcome of the recommendations concerning civil pensioners/family pensioner of Central Govt viz. Posts, Rlys, Defence (civilians), State Govt(s), pensioners/family pensioners, BSNL/PSUs, EPF’95, various Statutory/Autonomous Bodies etc. of 7th CPC, headed by Justice (Retired), A K Mathur, submitted to the Govt of India on 25-11-2015 - partially implemented and partially under review by the Committee of Secretaries constituted by the GOI. I would not go into the details of the recommendations as light on these would be thrown by almost all the speakers of the day and thread-bare discussion in the afternoon session by delegates who have come from every nook & corner of the country undertaking tiring journey braving their age and ailments. BPS has tried its best to make this day comfortable. However due to some of the office bearers/MC members falling sick due to an attack of Chikungunya, shortcomings may come to your notice. Kindly bear. It gives me immense pleasure say that BPS President shri Shyam Sunder, who did not participate in the last three AGMs held at Secundrabad, Agra & Amritsar in November, 2013, 2014 & 2015 respectively due to severe health problems, is today, with the Grace of Almighty and good wishes of you all, amongst us on the Dias. He alongwith his wife Smt Prem Kumari Goswami has been associated with Bharat Pensioners Samaj for the last nearly three decades and forerunners in ameliorating the grievances of pensioners/family pensioners through democratic means but not lagging behind in leading the dharnas and demonstration whenever occasion demanded. I, on behalf of all of you, wish them a long happy life with earnest prayer that the couple would continue to guide BPS in resolving pensioners grievances in the years to come.
Before I hand over mike to the anchor of this session, I request you all to stand and observe two minutes silence in memory of pensioner members - of BPS and Affliates/Associates, who have left for their heavenly abodes since the last AGM and also to the martyrs of Armed Forces & Central Armed Police Forces who have sacrificed their lives safeguarding the borders of the nation from the clutches of terrorists/ anti national elements together with victims of natural calamities occurred in various parts of the country.
Jai Hind.
Namaste, Good morning. On behalf of Prez, Secy Genl and BPS Managing Committee, I welcome you all to 61st AGM of Bharat Pensioners Samaj being held to-day on 13th November, 2016 at Constitution Club, Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi. This AGM is a mega meet and has assumed great importance as it would be discussing the outcome of the recommendations concerning civil pensioners/family pensioner of Central Govt viz. Posts, Rlys, Defence (civilians), State Govt(s), pensioners/family pensioners, BSNL/PSUs, EPF’95, various Statutory/Autonomous Bodies etc. of 7th CPC, headed by Justice (Retired), A K Mathur, submitted to the Govt of India on 25-11-2015 - partially implemented and partially under review by the Committee of Secretaries constituted by the GOI. I would not go into the details of the recommendations as light on these would be thrown by almost all the speakers of the day and thread-bare discussion in the afternoon session by delegates who have come from every nook & corner of the country undertaking tiring journey braving their age and ailments. BPS has tried its best to make this day comfortable. However due to some of the office bearers/MC members falling sick due to an attack of Chikungunya, shortcomings may come to your notice. Kindly bear. It gives me immense pleasure say that BPS President shri Shyam Sunder, who did not participate in the last three AGMs held at Secundrabad, Agra & Amritsar in November, 2013, 2014 & 2015 respectively due to severe health problems, is today, with the Grace of Almighty and good wishes of you all, amongst us on the Dias. He alongwith his wife Smt Prem Kumari Goswami has been associated with Bharat Pensioners Samaj for the last nearly three decades and forerunners in ameliorating the grievances of pensioners/family pensioners through democratic means but not lagging behind in leading the dharnas and demonstration whenever occasion demanded. I, on behalf of all of you, wish them a long happy life with earnest prayer that the couple would continue to guide BPS in resolving pensioners grievances in the years to come.
Before I hand over mike to the anchor of this session, I request you all to stand and observe two minutes silence in memory of pensioner members - of BPS and Affliates/Associates, who have left for their heavenly abodes since the last AGM and also to the martyrs of Armed Forces & Central Armed Police Forces who have sacrificed their lives safeguarding the borders of the nation from the clutches of terrorists/ anti national elements together with victims of natural calamities occurred in various parts of the country.
Jai Hind.
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Jawan's sacrifice
'Are we worthy of a jawan's sacrifice?': Officer
TNN | 2016-10-30 15:24:00 +0000
The Indian Army and Border Security Force jawans are involved in daily, deadly skirmishes with the Pakistani army/terrorists. As Amit Lodha, IPS, DIG BSF Jaisalmer, read this piece - Won't cry on son's martyrdom, will keep promise: BSF Jawan's mother - he wondered, do the citizens of this nation really know what the jawan does for his nation?
In this heart-felt piece, he talks emotionally about those who lead from the front and also lauds film actor Akshay Kumar for the manner in which he spoke to the slain BSF martyr Gurnam Singh's family:
"Don't feel sad beta, feel proud that Gurnam has laid his life for the nation." I shuddered when I listened to Bibi Jaswant Kaur, mother of Gurnam Singh, a constable of the Border Security Force, who died fighting terrorists. Such a strong and fiercely proud woman! Gurnam Singh, 26, was the son of a truck driver, Sardar Kulbir Singh. He was instrumental in foiling infiltration attempts in the Jammu sector immediately after the Uri incident. He was specifically targeted by the enemy when he joined the same post again for his duty the very next day. He battled for two days in the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. There are thousands of Gurnams in the BSF, the Army, and all our uniformed services.
But being in a uniformed service, many a time I ponder, for whom does the jawan lay down his life? Are we as citizens worthy of the supreme sacrifice our BSF and Army jawans make? Or the sacrifices of the hundreds of policemen who die performing their duty and even then get pilloried? For that matter, of the lives of anyone in uniform!?
As citizens, do we pay our taxes diligently? Do we respect the law rather than unashamedly breaking rules and feeling good about it? Do we really respect our women, apart from praying to various Goddesses for wealth and power? Why couldn't we pick up a dying Nirbhaya from the road and take her to the hospital, instead of having candle vigils for her later on? Why does it take no less than the Honourable Prime Minister of the country to exhort us to keep the country clean? Then a BSF constable certainly thinks for a moment, are these the people that I am guarding, away from my family on Diwali, worthy of my sacrifice? Are these people really concerned if I am working in subzero temperatures, lighting kerosene lamps and using actual bombs for my Diwali?
I know some people will still think that the jawans are just doing their job and dying in the line of duty is a professional hazard. But you can understand the mindset of a soldier only once you don the uniform.
But then there are the conscientious citizens of our beautiful country from all walks of life who are like a beacon of hope for an occasional cynic like me. Actor Akshay Kumar is one of them. "Amitji, please make me to talk to the family of Gurnam. I want them to know that the entire nation is with them in this hour of grief," said he, calling from the sets in Malaysia. Akshay will always be discussing new ways to take our country ahead. He is always brimming with ideas, particularly for the welfare of jawans. And he walks the talk. He keeps making his contribution to our jawans and kisans in his own way, shunning any publicity. If he is shooting in Kullu, he will specially go and play volleyball with the ITBP constables. Last year, he spent an entire day with the BSF jawans in the scorching desert of Jaisalmer. His presence genuinely reinvigorates the men. He will quietly support the families of the jawans. He had been shooting when Gurnam was martyred. I could sense the pain in his voice, as well as the pride he has for the BSF, the Army, and the Police. After talking to Bibi Jaswant Kaur and Kuljeet, Gurnam's sister, he felt as if he had spoken to his own family. I thanked him for his magnanimity, only to be told that he had done nothing. "Mere paas itna paisa hai, for what. These guys in uniform are the real heroes."
This is not a publicity piece for Akshay. But when a popular personality like Akshay comes forward to support our men, it encourages so many of us Indians to do our bit. And yes, when people like you genuinely feel for our jawans, we know that our countrymen are with us, for us always! There are millions like you which make our nation great.
So, from this Diwali, don't 'donate' to our jawans but contribute to the Nation in your own way.
Happy Diwali and Jai Hind !!
In this heart-felt piece, he talks emotionally about those who lead from the front and also lauds film actor Akshay Kumar for the manner in which he spoke to the slain BSF martyr Gurnam Singh's family:
"Don't feel sad beta, feel proud that Gurnam has laid his life for the nation." I shuddered when I listened to Bibi Jaswant Kaur, mother of Gurnam Singh, a constable of the Border Security Force, who died fighting terrorists. Such a strong and fiercely proud woman! Gurnam Singh, 26, was the son of a truck driver, Sardar Kulbir Singh. He was instrumental in foiling infiltration attempts in the Jammu sector immediately after the Uri incident. He was specifically targeted by the enemy when he joined the same post again for his duty the very next day. He battled for two days in the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. There are thousands of Gurnams in the BSF, the Army, and all our uniformed services.
But being in a uniformed service, many a time I ponder, for whom does the jawan lay down his life? Are we as citizens worthy of the supreme sacrifice our BSF and Army jawans make? Or the sacrifices of the hundreds of policemen who die performing their duty and even then get pilloried? For that matter, of the lives of anyone in uniform!?
As citizens, do we pay our taxes diligently? Do we respect the law rather than unashamedly breaking rules and feeling good about it? Do we really respect our women, apart from praying to various Goddesses for wealth and power? Why couldn't we pick up a dying Nirbhaya from the road and take her to the hospital, instead of having candle vigils for her later on? Why does it take no less than the Honourable Prime Minister of the country to exhort us to keep the country clean? Then a BSF constable certainly thinks for a moment, are these the people that I am guarding, away from my family on Diwali, worthy of my sacrifice? Are these people really concerned if I am working in subzero temperatures, lighting kerosene lamps and using actual bombs for my Diwali?
I know some people will still think that the jawans are just doing their job and dying in the line of duty is a professional hazard. But you can understand the mindset of a soldier only once you don the uniform.
But then there are the conscientious citizens of our beautiful country from all walks of life who are like a beacon of hope for an occasional cynic like me. Actor Akshay Kumar is one of them. "Amitji, please make me to talk to the family of Gurnam. I want them to know that the entire nation is with them in this hour of grief," said he, calling from the sets in Malaysia. Akshay will always be discussing new ways to take our country ahead. He is always brimming with ideas, particularly for the welfare of jawans. And he walks the talk. He keeps making his contribution to our jawans and kisans in his own way, shunning any publicity. If he is shooting in Kullu, he will specially go and play volleyball with the ITBP constables. Last year, he spent an entire day with the BSF jawans in the scorching desert of Jaisalmer. His presence genuinely reinvigorates the men. He will quietly support the families of the jawans. He had been shooting when Gurnam was martyred. I could sense the pain in his voice, as well as the pride he has for the BSF, the Army, and the Police. After talking to Bibi Jaswant Kaur and Kuljeet, Gurnam's sister, he felt as if he had spoken to his own family. I thanked him for his magnanimity, only to be told that he had done nothing. "Mere paas itna paisa hai, for what. These guys in uniform are the real heroes."
This is not a publicity piece for Akshay. But when a popular personality like Akshay comes forward to support our men, it encourages so many of us Indians to do our bit. And yes, when people like you genuinely feel for our jawans, we know that our countrymen are with us, for us always! There are millions like you which make our nation great.
So, from this Diwali, don't 'donate' to our jawans but contribute to the Nation in your own way.
Happy Diwali and Jai Hind !!
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Extention of CGHS facilities to BSNL/MTNL retirees
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Politics over ex-serviceman suicide who was already getting benefit of OROP-How unfortunate
Ram Kishan Grewal got hiked pension, says MoD
TNN | 2016-11-02 19:46:00 +0000
NEW DELHI: Already on the backfoot due to controversies over the moves to slash disability pensions for military personnel as well as downgrade their rank equivalence vis-a-vis civilian officers, the defence ministry scrambled to dig out Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal's service records to hold he was getting pension benefits under the 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) as well as the 'one rank, one pension' (OROP) scheme.
MoD officials said on Wednesday the 70-year-old Grewal, who retired in September 2004, had got the hikes in his pension both under the 6th CPC of 2006 as well as OROP, which was notified in November 2015. But officials admitted that Grewal had received "a lesser amount than what he should have got" under OROP due to an error in calculation by the SBI bank branch in his hometown in Bhiwani district of Haryana.
"Grewal should have been getting around Rs 2,000-3,000 more in his monthly pension. This is being looked into. For pensioners, the disbursal agency is the bank in which they have an account. When pensions are re-fixed, the tables are given to the banks to calculate and disburse individual pensions. Most of the pension-related complaints are connected to problems with calculation by banks," said an official.
In his letter addressed to defence minister Manohar Parrikar on October 31, a day before he consumed poison on Tuesday, Grewal had claimed he had not got the pension hikes under the 6th CPC, OROP and 7th CPC despite having served in uniform for 30 years and nine months.
Friends of Grewal, who first served for six years in the 105 Infantry Battalion of Territorial Army and then another 24 years in the Defence Security Corps, added that he had been unhappy because the OROP implemented by the government had failed to meet his expectations.
"Grewal did not seek an appointment with Parrikar, nor has the minister's office got his letter of October 31 till now," said an official. Pension benefits under the 7th CPC for all ex-servicemen as also the salaries of serving military personnel are yet to be finalised and disbursed, he added.
Parrikar, on his part, tweeted: "Saddened by the death of Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal. I express my heartfelt condolences. I have asked officials to provide me with details." The MoD, however, was unable to give exact details about Grewal's pension or the hikes he had got over the years.
Holding that "the government was committed to ex-servicemen welfare", Parrikar said Rs 5,507.47 crore had been disbursed under the OROP scheme till now. While Rs 3,867 crore was paid to 19,12,520 ex-servicemen and family pensioners as the first instalment, another Rs 1,641 crore has been given to 11,33,100 veterans as the second instalment.
This comes after the MoD announced last Friday its intention to "re-look" the entire issue of rank equivalence between military officers and their civilian counterparts after a controversial letter issued on the subject earlier in October led to an uproar in the armed forces.
The armed forces are also upset by the move to slash the disability pensions of their personnel for "non-war injuries" by reverting to the earlier "slab-based calculation system", while their civilian counterparts will continue to enjoy the "percentage-based" disability pension regime. "The matter has been referred to the anomalies committee," said the MoD.
MoD officials said on Wednesday the 70-year-old Grewal, who retired in September 2004, had got the hikes in his pension both under the 6th CPC of 2006 as well as OROP, which was notified in November 2015. But officials admitted that Grewal had received "a lesser amount than what he should have got" under OROP due to an error in calculation by the SBI bank branch in his hometown in Bhiwani district of Haryana.
"Grewal should have been getting around Rs 2,000-3,000 more in his monthly pension. This is being looked into. For pensioners, the disbursal agency is the bank in which they have an account. When pensions are re-fixed, the tables are given to the banks to calculate and disburse individual pensions. Most of the pension-related complaints are connected to problems with calculation by banks," said an official.
In his letter addressed to defence minister Manohar Parrikar on October 31, a day before he consumed poison on Tuesday, Grewal had claimed he had not got the pension hikes under the 6th CPC, OROP and 7th CPC despite having served in uniform for 30 years and nine months.
Friends of Grewal, who first served for six years in the 105 Infantry Battalion of Territorial Army and then another 24 years in the Defence Security Corps, added that he had been unhappy because the OROP implemented by the government had failed to meet his expectations.
"Grewal did not seek an appointment with Parrikar, nor has the minister's office got his letter of October 31 till now," said an official. Pension benefits under the 7th CPC for all ex-servicemen as also the salaries of serving military personnel are yet to be finalised and disbursed, he added.
Parrikar, on his part, tweeted: "Saddened by the death of Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal. I express my heartfelt condolences. I have asked officials to provide me with details." The MoD, however, was unable to give exact details about Grewal's pension or the hikes he had got over the years.
Holding that "the government was committed to ex-servicemen welfare", Parrikar said Rs 5,507.47 crore had been disbursed under the OROP scheme till now. While Rs 3,867 crore was paid to 19,12,520 ex-servicemen and family pensioners as the first instalment, another Rs 1,641 crore has been given to 11,33,100 veterans as the second instalment.
This comes after the MoD announced last Friday its intention to "re-look" the entire issue of rank equivalence between military officers and their civilian counterparts after a controversial letter issued on the subject earlier in October led to an uproar in the armed forces.
The armed forces are also upset by the move to slash the disability pensions of their personnel for "non-war injuries" by reverting to the earlier "slab-based calculation system", while their civilian counterparts will continue to enjoy the "percentage-based" disability pension regime. "The matter has been referred to the anomalies committee," said the MoD.
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OROP suicide
OROP suicide: Unanswered questions over Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal's death
"But anybody, who is getting Rs.22,000, would not end his life just for another 5,000 which he would have got anyway had he written a simple letter," defence ministry sources said .
Ajit Kumar Dubey | Posted by T A Bharadwaj
New Delhi, November 3, 2016 | UPDATED 10:02 IST
HIGHLIGHTS
- 1Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal allegedly took his life over not receiving adequate pension.
- 2He should have been receiving a pension of Rs.28,000 per month but got only 23,000.
- 3General VK Singhsaid called for an investigation into whether someone provoked him to take the extreme step.
Did Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal take his own life over a mere five thousand rupees per month? This is one among a clutch of unanswered questions clouding the army veteran's alleged suicide over pension woes, an incident that spawned a swirling political storm on Wednesday.
Grewal served in the Territorial Army and Defence Security Corps for a combined period of nearly three decades at different locations across the country before retiring in 2004.
ONE RANK ONE PENSION
Defence personnel have been demanding that the same pension should be paid to armed forces retirees with the same rank and the same length of service, regardless of the year they retired. The One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme was announced by the Narendra Modi government on September 6, 2015, but several ex-servicemen say it has failed to address their concerns. Former Defence Minister AK Antony too attacked the BJP-led Centre over "mishandling" of the OROP issue, saying the scheme should be implemented immediately.
"As per calculations, Grewal should have been receiving a pension of `28,000 per month but due to some miscalculation by the bank, he was getting only `23,000, which is `5,000 less than what was due to him," defence ministry sources said. The bank had not added the hike due to him because of the OROP implementation and had he communicated the issue to the department concerned, the anomaly would have been done away with, the sources said.
His case could have been resolved amicably like hundreds of others even if he had directly approached the ministry, they added, showing letters on the issue from different locations. "But anybody, who is getting `22,000, would not end his life just for `5,000 which he would have got anyway had he written a simple letter," they said.
DID GREWAL FEEL THAT OROP IMPLEMENTATION WOULDN'T BE ADDRESSED
Grewal's salary at the time of retirement was `14,000 in 2004 and from the next month onwards, his pension was a meagre `6,500 per month. But after that, the pension of Grewal and other jawans like him rose almost four times due to the implementation of the sixth pay commission and intermediate hikes due to partial acceptance of OROP by Congress governments. The amount would have gone further up to `31-32,000 due to implementation of the seventh pay commission. "The issues related to OROP are still being considered by the Reddy commission. How could the soldier get the feeling that his issue would not be addressed?" asked union minister and former Army chief Gen VK Singh while interacting with Mail today.
OTHER UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Another question that has arisen is why is it that the soldier got a request typed on October 31 for meeting the defence minister and then did not submit it and committed suicide the very next day. "His letter dated October 31 and his suicide on November 1 raise several questions. It also demands serious investigation about who was with the deceased when he took the extreme step," government sources said.
Another key point is that the veteran, who was at the forefront of public matters related to ex servicemen's issues, did not even wait to submit the letter to the defence minister's office and used the same letter as his death note. "It should also be looked into that why and how he took the extreme step and why was he forced to write his suicide note on the same page. Is it his own handwriting or someone else did it?" said the sources.
"It should be investigated that whether someone took advantage of his troubled mind to provoke him to take the extreme step." Gen VK Singh said in a similar case last year, a man was abetted to commit suicide at Jantar Mantar in the middle of a crowd during an AAP rally and nobody helped him. Grewal allegedly consumed poison behind the new MEA building on Janpath Road in central Delhi and was brought to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. His colleagues and friends from his village said he left his native place in a pleasant mood and did not appear to be on the verge of taking such an extreme step.
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