NATIONAL
CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE
OF
PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS..
Website:
nccpahq.blogspot.in.
E
mail: nccpahq@gmail.com.
13.c
Feroze Shah Road,
New Delhi. 110 001
PRESIDENT: COM.SHIV GOPAL MISHRA.(97176 47594)
SECy. GENERAL: COM.K.K.N.KUTTY. (98110 483030)
Dated 26th August, 2017
Dear Comrades,
National
Executive Committee
meeting and
decisions.
The National Executive Meeting of
NCCPA was held at Nagpur on 19.08.2017 under the Chairmanship of Comrade Shiv
Gopal Mishra.. Excellent arrangements were made by the Reception Committee
headed by Comrades Dhaktod and Petekar.
Comrade Shiv Gopal Mishra
elaborately dealt with the attitude of the Government and the official side on
7th CPC related issues of both employees and pensioners. He also narrated
that Option Number 1 has been taken up
as an anomaly in the NAC for discussion. Several other issues including the
NJCA meeting scheduled in September and the impending indefinite strike by the
Central TUS and Federations of Central, State Government and PSUs were covered
by him during his speech.
The subject session that
commenced thereafter was chaired by Com. S.S.Roy, working president, NCCPA. The
discussion on the items of agenda was initiated by the Deputy Secretary General
Comrade Pavitra Ranjan Chakraborti ably supplemented by the other Deputy
Secretary General Comrade K.Ragavendran. The Secretary General Comrade KKN
Kutty could not attend the meeting due to his sudden illness. More than 90% of
the Office Bearers and National Executive Members attended the meeting despite
the situation of flood and torrential rains in different parts of the country.
A lively discussion on the agenda items followed. The following decisions were taken at the
meeting Com. K. Raghavendran moved the resolution which contained the crux of
discussions at the meeting and on the future course of NCCPA functioning.
Decisions and Resolution:
1.
Option 3 being the belated acceptance of the demand of
parity by pensioners is welcome. However, fixing the notional pay of Pre-2016
Pensioners in the replacement scales instead of actual pay scale provided for
to the serving employees by successive pay commissions is an irritant and
requires to be removed.
2.
Option 1 as recommended by the 7th
CPC being feasible to be implemented ought
to have been retained as it would provide better pension for those who
stagnated in the part for no fault of theirs. Rejection of option.1 as
infeasible is not only unprecedented, untenable but unethical too especially
viewed from the angle that the top bureaucracy had a personal axe to grind in
its rejection. The meeting endorsed the correct stand taken by the Staff Side
JCM National Council to treat the same as another option for pensioners.
3.
The continued adamancy of the Government in
refusing to grant the benefit of fixing pension to Pre-2006 Pensioners from
1.1.2006 based on the pay scales implemented to the post or cadre in which the
Pensioner had retired or dead is unjustified. The rejection by Department of
Expenditure even after several courts decision in favour of higher pay scales
instead of replacement scales and the acceptance and implementation of the
judgment in the case of the litigants shows the double standard of the
Government. This benefit should be granted to all Pre-2006 Pensioners.
4.
While welcoming the orders for admission of
P&T Pensioners in CGHS Scheme without any conditions by withdrawing the
retrograde orders of the Health Ministry, it is found that the decision that the beneficiaries must make the one time
lump sum payment @ post 7th
CPC rate is unjustified. The late admission in to CGHS belatedly after two
decades delay should not result in penalizing the past Pensioners. The rate of
subscription at the time of retirement should alone be the charges.
5.
The discrimination against some other
departmental pensioners who are continue to be denied entry into CGHS must be
ended.
6.
While ending discrimination to P&T
Pensioners, the Directorate General of CGHS has issued another discriminating
order to preclude the CG Employees and CG Pensioners in Union Territories from
joining CGHS. This order also aims to send out those employees and pensioners
wrongly admitted in to CGHS. This stand of the Government is totally unjust and
should be withdrawn.
7.
Many important positive recommendations of the 7th
CPC on health related issues like (1) Merger of existing Postal Dispensaries
with CGHS; (2) Issue of Medi-insurance Cards to employees and pensioners to
facilitate cashless medical treatment; (3) Merger of all existing different
medical systems into one single large umbrella medical system for CG Employees
and CG Pensioners; (4) Extending the benefit under CS MA Rules 1944 to
Pensioners also to end the disparity between the employees and pensioners needs
to be expedited for positive implementation.
8.
While the doubling of the existing rate of Fixed
Medical Allowance from 500/- to 1000/- is welcome, the fixing of FMA @ 1000/-
after 7th CPC while the employees of PF Department are being paid @
2000/- per month even during 6th CPC period is very less in comparison
to the mounting medical costs. The FMA must be enhanced to 2000/- per month.
9.
Many orders are not being implemented in a
time-bound manner. Due to this the aging pensioners cannot get the benefits in
time. The GO on extending full pension to Pre-2006 Pensioners who had retired
without putting 33 years of qualifying service; the GO on fixation of pension
on the basis of ‘pay in the pay band’ instead of ‘minimum of pay band’ w.e.f.
1.1.2006 for all Pre-2006 Pensioners;
the issue of revised PPOs to all Pre-2006 Pensioners etc were either
inordinately delayed or still being delayed. The main reason for such
non-implementation or slow implementation is due to staff shortage in
accounting offices. Under such circumstances the recent 12th May,
2017 orders also is likely to be delayed in many departments. Therefore drawing
of the services of qualified retired officials to function as ‘implementation
cells’ to speed up the work under the supervision of serving Accounts Officers
in all accounting offices may be considered to facilitate completion of work of
Refixation of pension to all Pre-2016 Pensioners before 30.09.2017.
10.
The Pay Commission and also the Government have
not come forward to consider the issues of rationalizing the additional pension
and reducing the period of commutation of pension. The additional pension
system should be improved and the period of commutation should be reduced to 10
years.
11.
The grant of additional pension should be given
on attaining the age of 80, 85,90,95,100 instead of waiting for the completion
of the above ages as per the verdict of Bengaluru CAT.
12.
The recovery of income-tax from Pensioners is
most unjustified. The Government should immediately consider payment of pension
net taxes.
13.
The National Executive has resolved to authorize
the National Secretariat to chalk out appropriate Programme of Action on the
above demands.
The under-mentioned organisational decisions are also
taken unanimously:
1.
NCCPA organization should be strengthened by
approaching new organizations for affiliation; strengthening the existing
affiliates with more membership; forming State COC of NCCPA in all States.
2.
The State units of affiliates will get in touch
with other Pensioners Associations operating in the State and get them
associated with NCCPA.
3. This
National Executive Committee meeting of NCCPA calls upon all its affiliates to
take all possible steps to join the agitational programmes chalked out by all
organisations of serving employees and the Central trade Unions.
4.
Extending total solidarity to NFPE sponsored
strike on 23.08.2017 for getting the GDS Committee recommendations immediately
implemented.
5.
NCCPA units and affiliates will take all
possible steps to take part in the mass Dharna programme stated for 9,10,11
Nov. 2017 at Delhi under the auspices of the joint platform of Central Trade
Unions.
6.
NCCPA will organize an independent programme to
project the CG pensioner related issues and most prominently against NPS
Massive Dharna at the National Capital: DELHI.
In deference to the decision of the National Executive, consultations
were held amongst the Secretariat members about the feasibly of organizing an
independent programme by NCCPA. The consensus is that the NCCPA must organize a
massive Dharna at Janter-Manter, New Delhi on 25.10.2017 from 11.00 AM to 3.00
PM eliciting participation of members of all affiliates and from all states. To
make the programme successful, a serious campaign will be undertaken by the
National Leadership consisting of President, Working President, Vice President
Secretary General, two Deputy Secretary Generals. Detailed circular will be
issued shortly. Affiliates and unites are requested to convey the issues/
demands to be included in the Charter immediately on receipt of this letter.
The Office bearers and the National Executive
Members especially the Chief Executives of affiliated organizations and the
State CGPA organizations are requested to mobilize and ensure the participation
of the largest number of pensioners in the Programme to highlight our issues
before the Government. The Charter of Demands will be circulated shortly after
causing consultation with the members of the National Sectt.
With Greetings,
Comradely Yours,
Sd/-
KKN Kutty
Secretary General
RESOLUTION
ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE OF NCCPA HELD AT NAGPUR ON 19.08.2017 ON SOME
BASIC ISSUES OF CG PENSIONERS AFTER THE IMPLEMENTEATION OF 7th CPC
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The National Executive of the National Coordination
Committee had discussed various aspects of the 7th CPC
recommendations and the implementation of them by the Central Government. The
attitude of the Government viz., rejecting some of the recommendations made
like the Option Number 1 of pension fixation in favour of the pensioners on the
grounds of non-feasibility but accepting many recommendations made by the CPC
against the interests of the employees without any modifications like rejection
of many allowances etc is deplorable. The attitude of the Government is not
only retrograde but also time consuming. The tactics to form committees and
delay the matters for several months in order to tire out the employees and
pensioners is condemnable.
The Central Government has finally rejected Option
Number 1 fixation of pension to Pre-2016 Pensioners after much delay. The
recommendation of the Pay Commission for giving the benefit of number of
increments earned by the Pensioner in his last stage of employment would be
more beneficial to a section of Pensioners than the Option Number 3 offered and
implemented by the GO dated 12.05.2017. There were scores of Government
Employees who stagnated for years without any promotion before their
superannuation. This type of stagnation was pronounced to those sections for
whom the MACP system was not extended before 2008. The Option Number 1 would have
been more beneficial to those Pre-2008 retirees. The Option Number 3 is no
doubt an improvement to Option Number 2 of fixation by applying 2.57 fitment
factor; but still the better benefit under Option Number 1 to those Pensioners
has been out-rightly rejected by the Pension High Level Committee and the
Government in the name of non-availability of records of increments for nearly
18% of Pensioners. The stand taken to reject Option Number 1 despite the
arguments of the Staff Side and Pensioners Associations to convince the
authorities that reconstruction of records is not impossible even for those 18%
cases of pensioners is unjust. This National Executive is of the considered
opinion that the rejection of Option Number 1 of pension fixation is authoritative
and unjustified and based on wrong notions and arguments.
Secondly, the Option Number 3 implemented in lieu
of Option Number 1 contains a basic flaw. The Option Number 3 is nothing but
the recommendations of 5th CPC for pension fixation by notionally fixing
the salary in the fitment table of successive pay commissions to the Pre-2016
Pensioners also and finally fixing 50% of the notionally arrived last pay drawn
with reference to the Pay Matrix Table of the 7th CPC. In doing so
the important aspect of 5th CPC to fix the salary in the new scale
of pay implemented to the post or cadre in which the pensioner had retired or
died is ignored by the Government. Instead the pension is calculated only on
the basis of the replacement scales. Unless and otherwise the full aspect of 5th
CPC recommendation is implemented, the Option Number 3 formula also is denying
the full benefit to many pensioners in whose cases their cadre or post got any
upgraded pay scale through successive pay commissions. As the Government had agreed
to implement OROP to Veteran Pensioners, similar fitment benefit to Civilian
Pensioners also by calculating notionally in the same pay scale granted to the
serving employees would have rendered justice. This National Executive urges
the Government to reconsider this aspect and issue necessary orders to set
right the flaw.
In nut shell, this National Executive resolves to
reiterate its considered opinion that the Pensioners should be given the choice
to opt between the Options 1, Option 2, and Option 3 with the element of higher
pay scales granted to the cadre or post.
This National Executive notes with concern that the
Government is obstinate in refusing the fixation benefit of pension in the
higher scales of pay implemented to the post or cadre despite several court
cases went in favour of the Pre-2006 Pensioners. The Pre-2006 Pensioners were
denied the benefit of higher scales of pay given to the serving employees from
1.1.2006 and on approaching the court of law many pensioners got the benefit implemented
w.e.f. 1.1.2006. The Executive notes that based on this fact the Department of
Pension & Pensioners welfare had recommended to Finance Ministry for
extending the benefit to all similarly placed Pre-2006 Pensioners.
Unfortunately the Department of Expenditure had showed adamancy and refused to
grant the benefit even today. It is also unfortunate that when this issue was
taken to the PMO for redressal, the PMO had also taken an unjustified position
that since the Finance Ministry had taken a position it cannot be reversed.
This Executive notes that PMO is the final authority for all issues and the
opinion of Department of Expenditure cannot be supreme against the directions
of several courts of the land. This National Executive resolves to urge upon the
Government to come down from the adamant position and extend the benefit of
fixation of pension to all Pre-2006 Pensioners based on the upgraded pay scale
if any was implemented to the post or cadre in which the Pre-2006 Pensioner had
retired or died.
This National Executive of NCCPA notes with
satisfaction that at last the P&T Pensioners also are allowed to enter the
CGHS system without any discrimination through the GO dated 19.07.2017.
However, we note that since this is a very belated step taken after two decades
of discrimination that prevented many P&T Pensioners retired between 1998
and 2017 from joining the CGHS on payment of subscriptions at the prevailing
rate at the time of their retirement. The present order ending the
discrimination of the P&T Pensioners demands them to pay at the post-7th
CPC rate of subscriptions. We all know that the post-7th CPC rates
are fixed based on the new higher pay scales after 7th CPC. Fixing
the same rate of subscription to all Pre-2016 pensioners irrespective of the
year of their retirement is unjustified and exorbitant. This National Executive
of NCCPA resolves to urge upon the Government for necessary reconsideration to
order to fix the rate of subscription commensurate to their year of retirement.
At the same time this National Executive notes that
the Health Ministry’s objection to P&T Pensioners alone was withdrawn to
facilitate inclusion of willing P&T Pensioners into CGHS while some other
smaller departments are still out of the ambit of CGHS. This discrimination
shall go. There shall be no discrimination for any Pensioner of any department
in the matter of joining CGHS on the untenable plea that a separate Dispensary
System is in existence for that department. In addition the CGHS Directorate
General has issued a recent order on 21st
July declaring the CG Employees and CG Pensioners in Union Territories are not
entitled to join CGHS and those who were erroneously admitted also have to be
sent out. This order is most unjustified and while correcting an injustice the
Government is trying to introduce another injustice to the employees and
pensioners of Union Territories. This Executive urges for immediate withdrawal
of 21st July orders also.
There are many other health related recommendations
of the 7th CPC that requires immediate decision by the Government.
The recommendations (1) to merge the existing Postal Dispensaries with CGHS;
(2) to issue Medi-insurance Cards to employees and pensioners to ensure
cashless treatment in authorized private hospitals; (3) to merge various
departmental vise health systems to form one broad medical system for the
Government Employees and Pensioners; and (4) all pensioners also to be made
eligible to medical treatment on par with the serving employees under CS MA
Rules 1944, require positive approval by the Government. The Pensioners are the
senior citizens whose medical requirements are very important at their old age.
The present flaws in the existing medical systems should be removed by
accepting the recommendations of the Pay Commission to end any discrimination
between the serving employees and the Pensioners.
The National Executive of NCCPA notes that the
Government has come forward to double the Fixed Medical Allowance from 500/- to
1000/- per month. This increase is a welcome step no doubt. But one cannot deny
the fact that when a section of the Government Employees like the PF Department
were granted 2000/- per month as FMA even under 6th CPC time, fixing
the FMA after 7th CPC to only 1000/- is not meeting the requirements
of today’s medical cost. This National Executive therefore resolves to urge
upon the Government to reconsider and enhance the FMA to not less than 2000/-
per month.
This National Executive wishes to bring to the
notice of the Authorities that several orders are not implemented in a
time-bound manner by all departments so that the aging pensioners can get the
benefits earlier. The GO on extending full pension to Pre-2006 Pensioners who
had retired without putting 33 years of qualifying service has not been
implemented to all eligible such Pensioners in many States. The implementation
of GO on fixation of pension on the basis of ‘pay in the pay band’ instead of
‘minimum of pay band’ w.e.f. 1.1.2006 for all Pre-2006 Pensioners took a lot of
time. The issue of revised PPOs to all Pre-2006 Pensioners is still not
completed in many States despite the position reflecting in the SCOVA meeting
minutes that almost all Pensioners had been issued with revised PPOs. The main
reason for non-implementation or slow implementation is because of the existing
staff shortage in accounting offices. This may adversely affect the
implementation of the recent 12th May, 2017 orders also. Therefore
this National Executive resolves to urge upon the Government to cause to order
drawing of the services of qualified retired officials to function as
‘implementation cells’ to speed up the work under the supervision of serving
Accounts Officers. This Executive also urges that this Refixation work under
Option Number 3 shall be completed to all Pre-2016 Pensioners before
30.09.2017.
The National Executive also notes with concern that
several issues like the revamping of additional pension; release of commuted
portion of pension after 10 years have neither been considered by the 7th
CPC nor by the Government. This Executive resolves to urge upon the Government
to come forward to refix the quantum of additional pension in a more
rationalistic manner. This Executive also urges the Government to come forward
to pass the order in consonance with the order of Bengaluru CAT that the
additional pension is payable on attaining the age of 80, 85, 90, 95, 100
instead of on completing the above ages. This Executive also urges the
Government that persisting with the present time limit of 15 long years for
returning the commuted portion of pension is fully unjustified and it requires
to be revisited to reduce the time to 10 years.
The demand for exempting the pension from income
tax is not at all receiving the attention of Government despite the fact this
demand has been vociferously raised by the Pensioners Organizations for long.
It is highly unjustified to tax the pension of the government servants who had
toiled for the nation throughout his working life. The Refixation of ceiling
for income-tax now and then was only temporary solution to the problem. It is
observed that recently that trend also has stopped and we could not find any
change of ceiling for income-tax. This National Executive of NCCPA urges the
Government to come forward to accept the demand for payment of pension net
taxes.
The National
Secretariat is hereby authorised by this National Executive to fix up
appropriate Programme of action on all the above issues.
RESOLUTION ON BUILDING THE
ORGANISATION OF NCCPA
The National executive of NCCPA is of the firm
opinion that the growth of the united platform of pensioners’ movement alone is
the guarantee to face the onslaught of the Government on pension and social
security. NCCPA is the only class conscious apex organization for unifying all CG
Pensioners under one roof and effectively project the issues of CG Pensioners
for appropriate settlement. The need to strengthen the NCCPA is therefore
paramount.
Both strengthening NCCPA at the CHQ level and
strengthening it at State level are important though both are complimenting
each other. The strengthening at CHQ level can be concentrated by approaching
the existing pensioners’ organizations for affiliating with the NCCPA. The
strengthening of the existing affiliates of NCCPA also can contribute to the
strengthening of NCCPA CHQ. As far as the States are concerned, it is our
responsibility to found State COC of NCCPA with the state organizations of our
affiliates (both CGPA and Departmental wise Affiliates). Various state level
functioning CGPA organizations also can be approached for joining in the State
COC of NCCPA. We are witnessing that for lack of a strong platform of CG
Pensioners many issues of Pensioners are unable to be effectively projected
before the Government. The solution of pensioners’ issues is left to the mercy
of the Government and Authorities through SCOVA and by approaching the doors of
courts that takes a longer time. Even after favourable judicial pronouncements
the Government is in the habit of denying the benefit to all similarly placed
candidates, again against the Supreme Court Judgment. A stronger voice of
united pensioners alone can guarantee earlier solutions to many vexed issues.
There are also issues like the NPS, Attack on
Pensioners and the danger of bringing all existing employees and pensioners
also under the NPS in future with the help of PFRDA Act that gives the
Government the power to do so at its will.
This National Executive therefore calls upon all
its Affiliates (both CGPA and Departmental wise Associations) to take all the
initiative for founding State COC of NCCPA as a measure of strengthening the
united movement of CG pensioners on one hand and to work for broader unity of
all Pensioners like the Central, State and PSU Pensioners Associations on the
other.
RESOLUTION ON NATONAL
PENSION SCHEME
This National Executive meeting held of 19.08.2017
at Nagpur notes with utter dismay and expresses its grave concern on the stand
taken by the Government of India on the National Pension Scheme introduce from
01.01.2004. A demand was placed before the 7th CPC to scrap that
contributory pension scheme and to bring all the CG Employees and others in
defined and assured pension scheme. The 7th CPC refrained itself on
the plea that the issue is not available in their term of reference. The
Government formed a Committee with a view to strengthen the NPS.
This meeting observes with hope that Confederation
of CG Employees & Workers and the All India State Government Employees
Federation had decided some phased programme of action to fight back the
situation.
This National Executive Committee meeting of NCCPA
calls upon all its affiliates to take all possible steps to join the programmes
on this issue and to generate public opinion by staging dharna, rallies, street
corner meetings etc in the coming days.
RESOLUTION ON IMPLEMENATION
OF GDS COMMITTEE REPORT
The National Executive Committee meeting of NCCPA
held at Nagpur on 19.08.2017 notes with grave concern that the Government of
India is following the tactics of delaying the implementation of GDS Committee
Report by way of setting up Committees on various pleas. National Federation of
Postal Employees is going to stage one day strike on 23.08.2017 demanding
implementation of GDS Committee recommendations. This National Executive
Committee meeting of NCCPA is whole heartedly supporting the proposed strike
and calls upon all the affiliates to stand by the striking employees on the day
of strike by staging solidarity type of programme on 23.08.2017.
ON IMPLEMENTING
INTERNATIONAL PENSIONERS DAY ON 1st OCTOBER
The WFTU Trade Union International (Pensiones &
Retired) has issued a call to observe the 1st October 2017 as the
international day of fight for pensioners’ Rights. It is the regular practice
of WFTU to observe October 1st every year on some important social
causes and the selection of this year October 1st as the
International Day of fight for Pensioners’ rights by the WFTU TUI (P&R)
clearly marks the danger to which the pensioners of all the countries are
exposed under liberalization. This National Executive meeting of NCCPA resolves
to call upon all our affiliates to observe the 1st October 2017 as
International day of fight for Pensioners’ Rights.
RESOLUTION ON SOLIDARITY
WITH THE CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS
The National Executive Meeting of NCCPA held at
Nagpur on 19.08.2017 welcomes the decision taken by the Central Trade Unions
and Federations and Confederations and Associations of Central Government,
State Government and Public sector like the BSNL, Banks, Insurance etc to organise
a series of Programmes against the economic policies and the onslaught on the
working Class. This National executive expresses its total solidarity with the
Programme of Action of Indefinite strike to be launched by the Indian Working
Class unitedly. This Executive also calls upon all our affiliates to mobilize
maximum membership to Delhi to participate on 10th November in the
three days dharna programme to be organised in Delhi from 9th to 11th
of November, 2017 as a prelude to the impending indefinite strike. All our
affiliates will concentrate full mobilization on the second day of the three
days dharna in order to focus the total solidarity of pensioners as a community
to the struggle of the working class.
