NCCPA NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING HELD IN NEW DELHI

NATIONAL COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS

National Executive Meeting

New Delhi – 25.07.2014

The National Executive meeting of NCCPA was held at D-7 Telegraph Place, New Delhi – 110001 at 11.00 Hrs under the Presidentship of Comrade R.L.Bhattacharyya the Chairman NCCPA. More than 20 members of the Executive attended.

The meeting commenced with paying condolence to all the departed leaders since our last meeting.

Comrade VAN.Namboodiri Patron of NCCPA inaugurated the National Executive and he narrated the growing unity of pensioners internationally and explained the proceedings of the international conference of pensioners and senior citizens at Barcelona in Spain. The formation of Trade Union International – Pensioners and Senior Citizens at the behest of WFTU in Barcelona in Ethens marks the beginning of international unification of all pensioners in different countries. He also referred to the change of Government in India and the dangers of division amongst the working people and pensioners due to divisive policies. He touched the task before the 7^th CPC and inaugurated the Executive.

Comrade S.K.Vyas the Secretary General NCCPA briefed the executive about the preliminary interaction between the Chairman 7^th CPC and BCPC led by Comrade S.C.Maheswari and S.K.Vyas. He explained all the issues discussed with the Chairman as follows:

1.NPS: We have categorically told that it should be rescinded and scrapped. The Chairman asked us as to why the NPS was not challenged in court of law during the past 10 years after its implementation? He also questioned as to what the Pay Commission can do in this matter? We requested that the CPC can intervene as 6^th CPC had given recommendations that Defined Pension Scheme is better than NPS. We requested that the recommendation of 6^th CPC should be applied to all entrants since 1.1.2004. The Chairman desired all relevant materials be submitted to him for study and we have agreed to supply.

2.Parity in Pension:We cited the Boothalingam Committee recommendations that had proposed for periodical pension revision and also the 4^th and 5^th CPC recommendations in this account. We also cited how the VI CPC did not extend this parity but only granted Modified Parity with reference to the minimum of the revised pay. The Government had however now accepted to implement One Rank One Pension in respect of Ex-Servicemen. Therefore the 7^th CPC should grant full parity of past and future pensioners. The Chairman agreed to look into this.

3. Rate of Pension: We pointed out the absence of any rationale in fixing 50% of LPD as pension. The Supreme Court had held that Pension should be adequate to enable the pensioners to live maintaining the same standard which he was having while in service. To ensure this the pension should be 2/3^rd of LPD as because the family on retirement is  reduced to two  units.

 4. Minmum Pension: Minimum Pension should not be below the minimum wage in Central Services as because otherwise the pension would be below the subsistence level.  This will benefit most the family pensioners only because the family pension is only 30% of LPD at present.

5. Additional Pension: The Pay Commission was requested to recommend additional pension  each five years after retirement. The Chairman stated that the rate of pension, Minimum Pension and the Additional Pension issues  would be considered keeping in view of the total economy.

6. Anomalies: On anomalies the Chairman said that they should be given details of all the unresolved anomalies so that similar anomalies are not repeated by 7^th CPC.

7. CGHS: The Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had submitted a detailed report on functioning of the CGHS and improvement therein. We requested the Chairman to call for the Action Taken report by the Government on the recommendations of the Standing Committee and then suggest appropriate action to be taken for improving the CGHS.

8. P&T Pensioners: We pointed out the existing discrimination against the P&T Pensioners who are denied entry into CGHS after retirement on the plea that they were not subscribing to CGHS while in service. The Chairman felt that there should be no discrimination and that he would look into the matter.

Comrade Vyas then narrated the details about the Chennai Meeting of BCPC which finalised the common memorandum. The common memorandum so finalised had been submitted to CPC and covered many points in that memorandum with the Chairman of the Pay Commission during the preliminary interaction.

The issue of finalising the NCCPA memorandum was discussed in the meeting. The following decision was taken:

1.NCCPA will endorse the BCPC memorandum .

2. Some left out issues will be covered in Part-I of NCCPA Memorandum by way of supplementing the BCPC memorandum.

3. Part-II of NCCPA memorandum will contain sectional issues of various departments.

4.NCCPA Memorandum will be submitted before 31^st July, 2014.

 

S.K.Vyas

Secretary General