NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE OF
PENSIONERS
Website:
nccpahq.blogspot.in.
13.c Feroze Shah Road,m
New Delhi. 110
001
20th
Feb. 2016.
President: Com.
Shiv Gopal Misra..97176 47594
Secretary General: Com. K.KN.
Kutty. . 98110 48303
Dear Comrades,
The
National Joint Council of Action which met on 8th had decided to
call upon the constituent originations to start preparation for an indefinite
strike action. In a detailed plan chalked out, there will be a massive rally at
Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 11th March, 2016 in which the NJCA
leaders will take part and the strike notice will be served on the Cabinet
Secretary. Simultaneously, all the
affiliated Associations and Federations will serve the strike notice to their
respective heads of Department.. The
strike is to commence from 6,00AM on 11th “April, 2016. On different dates, every State capital and
big industrial units will organize a massive rally of all Central Government
employees in which all the NJCA members will be present and the preparation for
the strike will be reviewed. The Railway
and Defence Federations will complete the strike ballot by the 2nd
week of February, 2016. Each Federation has been asked to chalk out their own
programmes of campaign to make the strike a cent per cent success. 29th March will be observed
throughout the country as Solidarity day by holding rallies and other
mobilization programmes.
The
NJCA met Sheri R.K. Chathurvedi, Joint Secretary, Implementation Cell,
Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance , on his invitation on 19th
Feb. 2016. The Staff side explained the
26 demands and other issues on which the employees will be organizing the
strike action in April, 2011. It is
learnt that the implementation cell has not received reports on Department
specific issues and the same might take time.
The NJCA has pointed out to him that despite the submission of
memorandum in many Departments the process of consultation with the Staff Side
has not begun, barring a few. Shri
Chathurvedi has agreed to expedite the process and the cell will place the list
of Nodal officers on its website. It has
also been agreed that the meeting with the empowered committee will be held in
a fortnight’s time.
The
NCCPA has written to Shri R.K. Chathurfvedi on issues pertaining to
Pensioners. Our submissions are in
consonance with the stand the NJCA has taken at the meeting with him on 19th
Feb. 2016. The undersigned had
participated in the discussions with the Joint Secretary IC. in his capacity as
the member of the NJCA. We send herewith
a copy of the said letter, which is self explanatory. We have included the grant of HRA for
pensioners as an additional item on the basis of the discussions, the NCCPA
Sectt. had on 7th Feb. 2016.
We
appeal to the affiliates of NCCPA to get in touch with all organizations and
branches and units and the pensioners to elicit their participation in the
programmes of action chalked out by the NJCA.
Once the state level meeting of NJCA is decided, we shall intimate you
the itinery. Since the undersigned would
be going over to most of the States, it is appropriate that we must organize a
separate meeting of the Pensioners Organizations in each State Capital, the
details of which will be communicated to you in our next communication. In the meantime, we propose to have a rally
of Pensioners in all State capitals to project our demands separately either
prior to 29th March or afterwards.
The affiliates are requested to kindly intimate the undersigned their
views and opinion over this proposal.
With
greetings,
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General
Copy of NCCPA/s letter to the Joint Secretary,
Implementation Celll. New Delhi.
NATIONAL
CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE OF PENSIONERS.
Website:
nccpahq.blogspot.in.
13.c Feroze Shah Road,m
New Delhi. 110
001
20th
Feb. 2016.
President: Com.
Shiv Gopal Misra..97176 47594
Secretary General: Com. K.KN.
Kutty. . 98110 48303
Shri R.K.
Chathurvedi,
Joint
Secretary,
Implementation
Cell,
Department of
Expenditure,
Ministry of
Finance,
North Block
New Delhi. 110 001.
Dear Sir,
Sub: 7thCPC recommendations on
retirement benefits- Reg.
The
National Co-ordinating Committee of Pensioners Association is the apex
organisation of Associations/Federations of Central Government Pensioners. We had submitted a detailed memorandum to the
7th CPC on various demands, problems and grievances of the Central
Government Pensioners. However, it must
be sadly admitted that most of the issues, which we had projected before the
Commission did not have a proper consideration, may be perhaps, due to the
Commission’s perceived anxiety over the financial constrains of the Government
of India. We have every reason to
believe that their anxiety was not well placed, for the Government’s finances
are far better presently than what it was two decades back. The memorandum submitted by the Staff Side
JCM National Council had elaborately dealt with the issue concerning the
relative capacity of the Government to pay its employees and pensioners in the
background of accelerated growth of the
economy, reduced tax burden on both business houses and the common people the
reduced percentage of expenditure on
wages, salary and pension with reference to the Government’s revenue resources,
revenue expenditure and the GDP itself.
The denial of the need based minimum wage,(in accordance wit Dy. Aykhroyd
formula) in other words, the bare existence wage in the circumstance by the 7th
CPC is incomprehensible. We are pointing
out this aspect of the recommendations,
for the successive earlier Commissions had denied the need based minimum
wage on the specious plea of the inability of the Government to pay. We hope you will appreciate that the present
pensioners, who were in active service in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, did
suffer immensely as they were denied even the bare existence wages. They suffered on many counts, as they could
not provide a decent standard of living to their families, could not construct
a residential dwelling, could not educate their children properly for sheer
want of requisite finances, so on and so forth.
The Pensioners’ community is presently concerned again with the minimum
wage as the re-fixation of pension on
account of the wage revision effected by the 7th CPC is linked to
the minimum wage. We, therefore, appeal
that the grievances presented by the Staff Side, National Council JCM on the
determination of the quantum of minimum wage by the 7th CPC must be
considered seriously and necessary corrections made.
Another
important issue we would like to present before you, concerns the New Pension Scheme introduced by
the Government of India, with effect from. 1.1.2014. Both the Serving employees and Pensioners
organisations placed before the Commission, rather passionately, to consider
their submissions made for the replacement of the newly introduced defined
contributory system of pension for those who entered the Government of India
Service from.1.1.2014 with the time tested defined benefit scheme of
pension. As of date the Government
employees, by virtue of the new
contributory pension scheme are divided into two classes viz. a good number of them receive emoluments
after deduction of 10% towards pension contribution whereas the other for the same job is
provided with a higher rate of emoluments.
It is nothing but a blatant denial of equal pay for equal work. We had pointed out to the Commission in no
uncertain terms that the new scheme was conceived as an idea to allow the flow
of the hard earned income of the employees to the Stock market and permit the access of those funds for the
corporate houses with no guaranteed return to the contributor. We had pleaded before the Commission to
recommend for the exclusion of the Government employees from the purview of the
NPS, if the scrapping of the scheme is
infeasible in the light of the enactment of PFRDA. The Commission, as you could see from the
report, has enumerated innumerable flaws, defects, deficiencies and what not in
the administrative apparatus of the NPS, which has now amassed huge funds and its coffers are
swelling enormously day by day. They
have still not evolved a mechanism to monitor the remittances by the concerned
employers. The Commission has suggested in the light of their findings,
cosmetic remedial measures which in all fairness one should admit, will not address the issue. In short, the Commission has not been emboldened
to make a positive recommendation for the exclusion of the Central
Government employees from its ambit, even though they have been convinced of
the force of our submissions and arguments.
We may also state that the Commission which was anxious of the
increased financial outflow on account
of the revision of wages and pension did not, rather failed to recognise the
enormous outflow of tax payers money to the pension fund in the form of
Governmental Contributions. Without stating the various other demerits of the New
Contributory Pension Scheme, as it has been oft-repeated, we plead that the
Government employees be excluded from the Contributory Pension scheme and all
of them irrespective of their date of recruitment be brought within the purview
of the time tested defined benefit pension system.
Besides
the submissions made in the preceding paragraphs, we enumerate hereunder some
specific issues concerning pensioners and request the Implementation Committee
to consider the same and place it before the empowering committee for acceptance.
1.
Parity between the past and present
pensioners be brought about on the basis of the 7th CPC
recommendations with the modification that the basis of computation be the pay
level of the post/grade/scale of pay from which the employee retired, whichever
is beneficial to him.
The 7th CPC has recommended the
modus operandi for bringing about parity between the past and present
pensioners. While issuing orders in
acceptance of this recommendation, we urge upon that care may be taken to
provide the benefit to the pensioners as envisaged by the Commission in its
letter and spirit. Often we find when
the orders are issued, the same is interpreted by the pension disbursing
authority in such a manner that the envisaged benefit is denied to the deserving
personnel on flimsy technical grounds.
We want you to appreciate that it is not a perceived grievance but a
real and genuine one. To cite a recent
example:, When the orders on the question of modified parity was issued after
the 6th CPOC recommendation, the
benefit was denied to a large number of pensioners by such an
interpretation made by the Offices of the Controller General of Accounts. The issue had to be agitated in the Central
Administrative Tribunal, where the CGA’s interpretation was set aside. The Government dragged the poor pensioners
upto the highest court of justice in the country, the Supreme Court, before the
concerned order was amended. Even in the
amended order, care was not taken to convey the benefit to certain pensioners
fully on the specious plea that the words employed in the original orders
speaks only of the scale of pay and not of the revised scale of pay. It is highly unethical to drag the pensioners
to the Courts. They are compelled to bear the huge expenditure involved in the
litigation at the level of the Supreme Court . To avoid the recurrence of such
a scenario, we plead that the orders must specify in unambiguous terms, that
the parity must be with reference to the level of pay of an individual employee
of the post/grade/scale of pay from which he/she retired, whichever is
beneficial to that individual. This is
to take care of the situation where the concerned Government servant had
been granted MACP, or the pay scale/pay
band/grade pay/ had been revised by the
Government either suo motu or on the basis of the recommendation of the
Pay Commission.
2.
Pension to be 60% of the last pay
drawn and family pension to be 50% of
the last pay drawn. Minimum pension to
be 60% of the minimum wage and minimum family pension to be 50% of the Minimum
wage.
In our memorandum, we had demanded that
pension to be 66.6% of the last pay drawn and the minimum pension to be 66.66%
of the minimum wage. The CPC has not conceded this demand. Our present request
in the matter is that the pension must be fixed at 60% of the last pay drawn
and the minimum pension at the rate of 60% of the minimum wage. This is on the ground that minimum wage is
computed taking into account the family consisting of three units of two adults
and two children ( i.e. 1+0.8+0.6+0.6=3) Since the requirement of the children
can be excluded in the case of pensioners,
the rational approach will be to provide 60% of the minimum wage as the
minimum pension Both the pension and the
minimum pension has to be at the rate of 60% of the last pay drawn (or average
emoluments) and the minimum wage respectively.
The present stipulation of computing the pension at the rate of 50% and
the minimum pension at 50% of the minimum wage has no basis at all. Family
pension is granted mostly in the case of the surviving spouse or unmarried or
widowed daughter. To reduce the pension
beyond 10% is to heap misery and agony on the survivors. Our suggestion in the matter is that the
surviving member of the family be provided with at least 50% of the pension.
3.
Enhance the pension and family pension on
the basis of the increased age of the pensioner. Grant 5% rise in pension for
every addition of 5 years of age, 10% after attaining the age of 80 and 20% for
those beyond 90.
The decaying process of physique gets
accelerated normally after 60 years of age.
To keep one fit, after the age of 60, increased expenses on various
counts are needed. It was in recognition
of this fact that the earlier Pay Commission suggested to calibrate the pension
entitlement linking to the age of the pensioner. The demand was formulated to rein in a
logical methodology for such increases.
Our specific suggestion is to raise the quantum by5% (i.e. 65% at the
age of 65) and by 5% for every five year increase in the age of pensioner. However, the increase will have to be 10% at
the age of 85 and 20% at the age of 90.
4.
Restoration of Commuted value after 10
years and gratuity as per the provisions of the Gratuity Act.
It is now an admitted fact that the
Government recovers the full value of the commuted portion of the pension in 10
years including the interest. However, it has refused to accede to the demand
for a revision of the period of restoration when it was taken up in the
National Council. There had been no
reason adduced as to why this demand cannot be accepted, when the issue was
subjected to discussions before the 7th CPC. Fifteen years is too long a period and the
last five years in which the pensioner is denied the full pension is without
justification. We request you to kindly place this fact before the Empowering
Committee for a favourable decision. In the matter of gratuity our demand is that the Government must adhere to
the provisions of the Gratuity Act and no distinction between the Government
employees and the workers in the Public or private enterprises be made in the
matter.
5.
Fixed Medical Allowance.
In the case of pensioners who resides at
locations not covered by the CGHS scheme has no health care benefit at
all. The serving employees are entitled
for CGHS benefit if they stay in any of
the 26 cities where the CGHS facilities are available, and they enjoy the
benefit of CVCS(MA) Rules in other
places. The Pensioners staying outside the CGHS areas are to bear the health care expenses from
the3oir meagre pension amount. It is in
consideration of this fact, a fixed medical allowance was introduced. However, the quantum of such allowance is a
paltry sum of Rs. 500 p.m. In the neo-liberalised economic system, the
administered price mechanism barring in the case of a few medicines, has been
dispensed with, consequent upon which is
the exorbitant prices of medicines in the market. The pensioner is not able to afford the
prices of medicines. Either the Government must come forward to bring in the
application of CCS(MA) rules to the pensioners who are not within the ambit of
CGHS or the FMA will have to be increased.
We request that the FMA may atleast be raised to Rs. 2000 per month.
6.
Grant of HRA for pensioners.
Gone are the days when the pensioner can
expect to be looked after by their children.
In most of the cases, they are unable to live with their children even
if the children are willing to accommodate them. This is because of the frequent transfer of
workplace and many other relevant factors.
As has been pointed out elsewhere in this letter, the pensioners of date
were the serving employees of 1970s,80s and 90s. They did not have a decent wage structure nor
could they obtain loan facility from the banks on nominal
interest (which the people of the present contemporary society enjoys), with
the result they could not venture to own a house for occupation atleast after
retirement. Throughout their service
career they had been in the occupation of the Government accommodation, which
they had to vacate after retirement. The
real estate business in the country witnessed a boom in 1990s and 2000s, . The pensioners cannot compete in the real
estate market either with the consumers like serving employees or business
people. All these factors put together makes the pensioners to shell out a
major portion of his pension income only for hiring a dwelling place. We, therefore, request the Committee may consider the demand for HRA from a humanitarian point of view.
7.
Grant of an increment prior to the date of
retirement.
Grant of one increment in the case of those
pensioners who retired on completion of one year in service as on the date of
superannuation had been the demand the staff side placed before the Government
for their consideration in the National Council. The demand was rejected on the technical
ground that even though they had worked for a full year the grant of increment
would be possible only if they are in service on the day when it become due. The 6th CPC while recommending uniform date
of increment for all Government Servants, also suggested that in the case of
all employees who had completed more than six months, increment might be
granted. The issue was taken up before
the 7th CPC too through our memorandum. The Commission also did not
recommend the acceptance of our demand.
We therefore, appeal once again to the Government that this simple issue
may be settled as it has very little coverage and the consequent financial
implication is very meagre.
These
are some of the issues, which various pensioners organisations have brought
before us to take it up with you. We therefore, once again request you to
kindly consider these issues in the light of the justification we have appended
under each of them and recommend to the Government for a positive consideration
thereof.
Thanking
you,
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
K.K.N. Kutty
Secretary General.
