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Saturday, July 9, 2022

NCCPA Circular on National Executive Decisions

 

NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE

OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS.

(Registered under the

T.U. Act.No. RTU01/2021.Dated.7.01.2021

PAN No.  AAEAN8586F

Website: nccpahq.blogspot.in.                                 President:  Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra. (97176 47594)

E mail: nccpahq@gmail.com.                               Secretary General: Com. K.K.N. Kutty. (98110 48303)

13.c Feroze Shah Road,

New Delhi. 110 001

 

Dated: 09.07.2022

Dear Comrade,

National Executive of NCCPA

The National Executive of NCCPA met at AIRF office on 28th June, 2022.  Com. Shiv Gopal Misra presided over the meeting. The meeting had the physical presence of 21 members of the National Executive and 7 comrades joined the meeting through the virtual platform.  The decisions taken at the meeting are as under: -

Com. President in his opening remarks said that the NCCPA could not meet on physical platform for about two years due to pandemic.  Unlike organizations of the working employees, though meetings were held through virtual platform it was not very effective.  Though the mobile phone communication system has become all pervasive and universal the pensioner community, he added, for obvious reasons would like to have print communications and physical meetings. He then explained the pains undertaken by the NCCPA and the Staff Side JCM to bring to the notice of the Government of the problems and demands of the pensioners especially arisen during the pandemic period.  He expressed happiness over the holding of the meeting on physical platform as it has provided the opportunity to see each other.  He also expressed happiness over the efforts undertaken by some of the comrades, who were unable to go over to Delhi to attend the meeting to join the deliberation through virtual platform.

Com. KKN Kutty the Secretary General presented the agenda slated for discussion at the meeting and obtained the approval of the house. Some comrades raised certain matters for discussion.  It was agreed that those issues would be discussed when the last items is taken up i.e. any other matter with the permission of the Chair. The issues slated in the agenda were discussed at length.  The following decisions were taken.

(a)    Review of programmes of actions: The meeting noted that all units have carried out the programme of actions viz. solidarity support for the general strike action on 28th and 29th March, 2022 and the independent programme of dharna to highlight the 110th report of the standing committee of the Parliament.  chalked out and circulated and have generally elicited good participation.

(b)   The Secretary General will circulate and place on website the statement of account prepared and submitted to the Registrar of Trade Unions.  He will also place a due statement on the website. The affiliates and units have agreed to make the payment immediately thereafter. He thanked Com. S.K. Sharma (Jaipur) and Com. Gupta (PNB) for the strenuous efforts to put in by them to get the NCCPA registered under the T.U. Act as also in submitting the accounts documents to the Registrar.

(c)    The members who spoke on the subject were appreciative of the recommendation of the Parliamentary committee and wanted the NCCPA to utilize it. While agreeing with the sentiments expressed by the members, and assuring that NCCPA would certainly make use of it and it was only the NCCPA which organized a programme specifically for it, the Secretary General said that much hope must not be pinned on those suggestions as the Government was not bound to accept the recommendation of the Standing Committee.  He said that many are taking the view that the recommendation of the standing committee is part of the scheme of selling dreams to assuage the otherwise enraged feeling of the pensioners.

(d)   Struggle for getting back the DR impounded by the Government; common issues like NPS; formulation of common pension demand for the entire pensioner community etc. were discussed together. Com. President detailed the efforts undertaken by him as the Secretary Staff Side to bring to the notice of the Government, the discontent of the employees and pensioners over the action of impounding.  He said that no such statement as has been made out at the SCOVA meeting had been made by the Cabinet Secretary at any point of time.  He assured the house that the united platform of organisations participating in the National Jca will subject the issue to discussion and will take appropriate decision.  In the matter of withdrawal of NPS and restoring of OPS, he said that the pensioner community is duty bound to support any struggle when it is waged by the working employees.  Majority of the working employees are those covered by the New Pension scheme and every one of them is concerned of it. 

Com. Secretary General placed the idea of having a common formulation for all pensioners, especially for those who retired from the Central Government and the Central Public Sector Undertaking.  Taking into account that varying formulations are in existence in Public Sector, he suggested the following:

(i)                  To demand that all retired personnel from the Central Government and Central Public Sector undertaking must have atleast 75% of the last pay drawn as their pension and such pension must be cost indexed;

(ii)                To have health care facilities throughout the life with empanelled hospitals for in-patient treatment.

(iii)              To have a permanent negotiating forum catering to all pensioners and periodical pension revision system.

The house debated on the issue but expressed the opinion that the proposal must be circulated for wider acceptance and then taken for pursuance.   The house also decided that on the demands, which are common to employees and pensioners, agitational programmes must be mounted and campaign undertaken so that the public opinion in favour of the employees and pensioners could be roused before the country go in for general election in 2004.

(e) Pursuing the demand through litigation. Com. President said that  he was of the opinion that the organization except in exceptional situation should avoid litigation as the outcome of such action need not necessarily be in favour of the workers and employees.  Once the court gives a verdict against them, the Government takes an adamant stand.     He recalled how an uninterested person had filed the case in the Delhi High Court against the Government’s decision on impounding the DA, which was not argued properly which resulted in the dismissal of the case.   He said that such cases were being filed by those persons who must be construed to be the tools of the government. He also cited the case of MACP before the Supreme Court.  While it would be difficult to stop people going to court, the organizations should   take care to implead in such cases at the appropriate time Com. Secretary General said that the litigation unlike in the past has become very costly and must be cautiously embarks upon  Decision must be taken however in exceptional case to approach the court when there is violation of the fundamental rights of the employees and pensioners.  He was of the opinion that  the denial of DA/DR issue is certainly one of them but campaign will have to be unleashed to garner public support to ensure that there is a favorable decision from the Court 

(f) Declining health care facilities. CGHS. The meeting noted that the health care facilities have declined significantly.  Hospitals once empanelled have withdrawn for want of payment.  Rates of various procedures have not been revised with the result the beneficiaries are put to losses.  The reimbursement of expenses incurred by the beneficiaries of CGHS has been getting delayed. Many dispensaries and well ness centres were functioning without sufficient staff and doctors. Of the 108 centres. sanctioned wellness centers.  are yet to be opened in more than 30 Stations.  The CGHS Panchayats being organized by the Department of  Pension had been disappointing and have turned out to be only a PR exercise.  It was the consensus arrived at the meeting that some demonstrative actions are needed at the filed levels and at Delhi before the Health Ministry office.  The issue must be discussed with all working employees’ organizations for forging unity to hold action programme at the Central Place. The possibility of holding filed level demonstration must be explored and carried out without further delay to highlight the problems connected with declining health care facilities. The pensioners of Banking sector, where the health care is either insufficient or not available must raise those demands during the demonstration, it was suggested at the meeting.  

During the discussions, many other issues were raised by the members, prominent among them were the extension of cashless treatment for pensioners outside the NCT areas (Com. Pande from Allahabad and others), grant of notional increment for those who retired on 30th June and 31st December, (Dasan, Central Water Commission) pension revision of Bank pensioners (Com. Khera and Suresh) the continuing impasse in the settlement of pension revision of BSNL /DOT pensioners (K.G.  Jayaraj), the non- --settlement of various issues raised at the SCOVA and in other forums (Com. S.. K. Sharma, Jaipur) the urgent need to have a common platform for all pensioners organizations in the country (Com. K. Ragavendran, AIPRPA) the lack of super specialty hospitals in many towns.  Com. Secretary General said that the question of grant of notional increment has been discussed on many occasions with the Government and the issue was still pending decision.   In the matter of cashless treatment to pensioners living outside the NCR, he assured the house that it would be taken up first in the discussion and if need be, as an item in the National Council.  Regarding the formation of apex level organizations for all pensioners and retired personnel in the country, he said that it would be a stupendous task and even the earlier attempt to revitalize the BCPA had not been successful.  Com. President also said that though he had been broaching the idea with various pensioners Association to be affiliated with NCCPA, the same has not been translated into reality. Many suggested that the NCCPA must take a stand that any attempt in the matter would be welcomed by it and simultaneously strengthen NCCPA

Asia-Pacific regional conference of TUI (P&R)

It was decided that the earlier decision taken by the NE should be adhered to and the conference must be hosted by NCCPA at Trivandrum.  Briefly discussions were held over the financial burden.  It was ultimately decided that the Secretary General will cause a discussion in the matter with the units of all affiliates of NCCPA in Kerala and will find out the extent of finance required and to what extent the help must go from the CHQ.

Journal: It was decided that NCCPA must revive the publication of the journal as the pensioners are not well accustomed with the electronic format.  The West Bengal COC will communicate within a month to the CHQ as to whether it would be possible to revive the publication or not.  If not steps must be taken by the Secretary to re commence the publication.

Affiliation:

The meeting decided to grant formal affiliation to the organizations of Pensioners Association, who had made application and completed all formalities;

(I)                  Central Water Commission;

(II)                All Kerala Bank retirees forum;

(III)              Defence Civilian Officers Pensioners Association;

(IV)              Andaman and Nicobar Island Government Pensioners Association.

The letter of affiliation will be sent to the first two organizations immediately having been completed all relevant formalities.  In respect of the latter two organizations, the formal decision to grant affiliation was taken.  They will be requested to complete the requisite formalities.

 

In any other matter with the permission of the Chair, the members raised various issues concerning the problems and demands of the pensioners, most of which had been taken up with the Government.  Com. President, in his concluding remarks, said that the NCJCM has demanded for an immediate meeting of the Committee under the health Secretary and would take similar steps to convene the meeting under the Secretary Pension also.  The meeting was then officially declared concluded at 7.30 PM.  Before that the resolution moved by the All-Kerala Bank retirees forum was adopted and Com. Khera, Senior Member and Advisor All India PNB Pensioners Association was requested by the house to provide the sect. a comprehensive note over the issues of the Bank Pensioners taking into account the observations made by the Government in respect of the demands.

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

Sd/-

KKN Kutty.

Secretary General.