Many Recommendations of Parliament Standing Committee goes in SMOKE!
Report of Parliament Standing Committee submits ATR in Rajyasabha and expresses satisfaction on many issues over the action taken by the DoP&PW! Here we are analyzing the document to some extent and a full analyzation of the Report will be done later. Comments are welcome from all readers either by email to nccpa.hq@gmail.com or in Whatsapp Group of NCCPA - KR Deputy SG NCCPA
Action Taken Report on the recommendations of the Parliament Standing Committee submitted in Rajya Sabha – CAT is out of the BAG now!
The ATR (Action Taken Report) on the recommendations of the 110th Report of the Parliament Standing Committee is tabled in Rajya Sabha by the above Committee. The community of Pensioners all over the country were wondering about the nature of recommendations as many of them were recommended though rejected by the 7th CPC! The Pensioners were pinning much hope that these recommendations will be implemented by the Union Government! But the National Executive of NCCPA that met in June 2022, had clearly opined that these recommendations were only publicity stunt and not for real implementation! The averment of NE of NCCPA has come out true today with the ATR submitted in Rajya Sabha. Let us see the aspects of the report:
1. The ATR itself is clear in stating that out of 28 recommendations made by the Committee only five (5) are accepted. It says that recommendations in Paras 2.12; 3.12; 3.23; 3.31; and 4.7 are accepted. What are these Paras? Para 2.12 stated that the pension related grievances can also be lodged in CPGRAMS Portal. Para 3.12 deals with the grant of Provisional Pension until the grant of regular pension and the regular PPO. Para 3.23 recommends for provision of non-CGHS Pensioners with the medical facilities on par with serving employees or an idea for cashless health insurance facility in lieu of FMA should be mooted by Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare. Para 3.31 expresses hope of the Committee that additional funds are sanctioned by the Government to provide for deserving pensioners organizations based on their previous performance. Para 4.7 deals with the issue of digitisation of entire process of pension sanction. These are the recommendations accepted and the Parliament Standing Committee expressed happiness and satisfaction over the action of accepting just 5 of its recommendations!
2. Implementation of even the above issues require to be seen by us to what extent various departments and Ministries are going to take them seriously for implementation though the replies are assuring and OMs also are issued. But very important issues recommended by the Standing Committee stand rejected by the Government!
3. Many important recommendations of the Parliament Standing Committee are just given up in the wind! The ATR says that the Committee does not desire to pursue in view of the replies given by the Departments of Government on 16 of the recommendations made in Paras 3.3; 3.4; 3.10; 3.13; 3.19; 3.20; 3.21; 3.22; 3.28; 3.35; 4.9; 4.14; 4.15; 5.11; 5.12 and 5.16 of the Report! The Committee says that it is satisfied with the explanations advanced! Well; we are not satisfied! Para 3.3 deals with enhancement of Group Insurance quantum; Para 3.4 states to change the savings fund to insurance fund be modified; Para 3.10 recommended to maintain GPF Account in electronic mode and transferred to the parent department; Para 3.13 wanted to end the delay caused in sanction of pension due to corona; Para 3.19 recommended for proper medical facilities to pensioners as ruled by the Apex Court and rules to immediately reimburse the bills of treatment shall be finalized and that the FMA to be enhanced to 3000/- to mitigate the problems of pensioners; Para 3.19 recommended for enacting rules for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by CGHS beneficiary in a non-empanelled hospital fully as per apex court direction and to avoid pensioners spending huge money for getting justice in different courts; Para 3.20 recommended that CGHS should be expanded to district headquarters also and allow CPENGRAMS to admit medical related grievances also; Para 3.21 recommended for enhancement of FMA to 3000/- by accepting the points of Pensioners Associations that at old age pensioners are faced with lot of diseases; Para 3.22 suggested for a hassle free surrender certificate of FMA in online; Para 3.28 recommended for grant of additional pension from 65 years itself as the joint family system is breaking up and the pensioners are forced to live separately to meet the additional expenditure and stressed the DoP&PW to vigorously pursue this issue with the MOF; Para 3.35 recommended for change of date of upgradation under MACP from 1.1.2006; Para 4.9 recommended for improvement in CPAO Portal; Para 4.14 recommended that the Head of Office start the pension process before one year of retirement; Para 4.15 deals with the delay in sanction of family pension; Para 5.11 recommended for wider modern technology for pension; Para 5.12 dealt with the system of withdrawal of pension from homes to the elderly pensioners; and Para 5.16 recommended for streamlining of pension and family pension sanction.
4. All the above are vital and important for the pensioners and family pensioners. If the Committee expresses satisfaction over the nature of action taken on these issues by the Government Departments and comes to the conclusion that it does not want to pursue further these issues, then we are sure that these vital issues are thrown to air by the Parliament Standing Committee! In nut shell, the Parliament Standing Committee enacted a drama for the amusement of lakhs of pensioners in the country and that the amusement is over!
5. The Parliament Standing Committee did not accept the replies given to seven (7) recommendations stated in Paras 2.10; 2.16; 2.21; 2.30; 2.33; 3.37; and 4.13! In Para 2.10 the Committee wanted the pension complaints to be streamlined by forming a social audit panel; In Para 2.16 it had recommended for accountability mechanism to deal with the grievances of pension; Para 2.21 recommended for an Appellate mechanism to be operationalized for improving the effectiveness of the grievances; Para 2.30 recommended for virtual pension Adalats once in six months; Para 2.33 recommended for a pre-litigation conciliation for avoiding grievances in the pre-litigation time itself; In Para 3.37 the Committee had recommended for full liberalized pension on par with widows of defense personnel to widows of Paramilitary / Civil Servants also; and 4.13 wanted the Government to be proactive in reaching out family pensioners and for liberalizing the procedures for children of the deceased Government servants.
6. From the Action Taken Report it is clear that the Government has rejected (1) Additional Pension from 65 years; (2) No MACP from 1.1.2006; (3) No notional increment to 30th June Retirees as per Para 2.37 of the present Report No.120 submitted in Rajyasabha. Therefore, many basic aspects of the recommendations are thus rejected. The increase in FMA quantum is of course not outrightly rejected but under consideration and we do not know the exact quantum of enhancement. But one thing is clear; it will not be 3000/- as recommended by the Committee.
