Archives-News
n September 1965, the Chief of Air Staff was summoned to the Defence Minister's office. Pakistan was targetting the vital town of Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir as part of Operation Grand Slam. The army needed air support. The government needed to know how quickly the Indian Air Force would be ready for operations. Air Force Chief Arjan Singh replied in his characteristic nonchalance, "...in an hour".
Sixty minutes later, the Air Force was pounding Pakistan's armoured formations.
But the man who is considered a legend had any firsts to his credit.
Born in April 1919 when the First World War was ending, Arjan Singh was battle ready by the time the Second World War broke out. By the time the War was over, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully leading his squadron through many operations on the Burma front. On 15 August 1947, Arjan Singh had the unique honour of leading the fly-past of more than a 100 air force aircraft over the Red Fort in Delhi. Active for years after he retired in July 1969, Arjan Singh served as Ambassador to Switzerland and High Commissioner to Kenya. Many years later, between 1989 and 1990, he was Delhi's Lt Governor.
In recognition of his extraordinary contribution, the government conferred the rank of the Marshal of the Air Force onto Arjan Singh in January 2002. He was the only 5 star-ranked officer to survive since the death of the hero of 1971 Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in 2008.
THE MARSHAL HAS RETIRED FROM LIFE. WE JOIN ENTIRE INDIANS AND SALUTE HIM....
WE HOPE ALL RECEIVED THE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER ISSUE BY THIS TIME. IT WAS POSTED FROM CHENNAI ON 2-9-2017. The editorial is uploaded here as suggested by Com. V V S Murthy. pp-sept-edit.pdf
Com. D Gopalakrishnan (our Vice President) and Com. P Gangadhara Rao (Dy GS) met Shri Ananthkumarji, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs today (12-9-2017) morning in his office in New Delhi. Thereafter, as directed by him, our leaders met Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister for Communications and submitted a memorandum on Pension Revision with fitment formula recommended by Seventh CPC.
Sri Manoj Sinha went through the memorandum carefully and gave a patient hearing to the arguments advanced by Com. DG and Com. Rao. Finally, the Minister said; “ I WILL SEE TO IT.”
We expect early action by the Minister.
The Union Cabinet has approved hiving off the mobile tower assets of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) into a separate company, fully owned by BSNL. It has authorised BSNL to monetise its telecom tower infrastructure with the formation of a separate subsidiary, said an official release. BSNL owns 66,000 telecom towers in the country, out of the total 4.4 lakh towers. The government is looking at external tenancies and garnering revenues for the new, “independent dedicated” tower company of BSNL, the release added.
PRAYER BY GIRLS FROM SARASWATHI SISUVIHAR
GS, TREASURER AND OTHER LEADERS ON THE DAIS
SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU, BILASPUR MP SPEAKS
VIEW OF THE DELEGATES
It is reported that some pensioners got payment of the medical allowance, without voucher, in Jind SSA of Haryana, in Jamshedpur SSA of Jharkhand and in Chennai TD Circle.
As all know, in April 2017, the BSNL corporate Office restored system of payment of medical allowance without voucher for pensioners. In the order dated 17-4-2017 it was mentioned that it would be reviewed after six months. But, unfortunately, No SSA except Jind in Haryana, has paid the allowance.
Now, Corporate office has issued another letter today to all CGMs saying that it is to be reviewed and hence the details called for should be furnished immediately to Corporate Office.
Without implementing a decision what they are going to review?
Corporate Office is not monitoring if its orders are complied with by the field offices. This is yet another example of the mismanagement.
.............................................................................................................................................................
BSNL/Admn.I/15-22/14(Pt) dated 7-9-2017 to all CGMs
Kindly refer to this office letters of even Nos. dated 17th April 2017 and 27th June 2017 (copied enclosed for ready reference). first quarter of the financial year has already concluded, by now all the office have got the list of retired employees who have opted for without voucher facility.
As the decision is to be reviewed after 6 months, all the controlling offices were requested to maintain detailed information of retired employees seeking option without voucher facility under outdoor treatment and the amount payable during the financial year and qquarterly payments payable.All Circle office may obtain the ab0ve data from SSAs and forward consolidated information to Corporate Office. Copy of Proforma was already furnished along with the earlier letters.You are requested to furnish the soft copy of the information 8in excel sheet for further consolidation at Corporate Office. Soft copy may be mailed to dgmadmbasnlco@gmail.com and admnbsnlco@gmail.com.
You are also requested to furnish the details of payments made for the first quarter, if not paid the reasons there for.
[Note: The original restoration order was issued on 11-4-2017, not on 17-4-2017 as mentioned in this letter]
Com. P Gangadhara Rao, our Dy GS contacted concerned people in ITPC Office, Hyderabad and reported as:
" Modification Order dated 16-8-2017 regarding Free calls in the Night from Free Local Calls .....
Finally after continuous persuation with ITPC Hyderabad, the above modification is made effective from 01-09-2017,
It will be reflected in September Bill. All RBSNL category retirees will now get the benefits of
1) Full utilization of eligible free calls for Local/STD/ISD etc a and
2) Night free calling from 9 PM to 7 AM with effect from 1-9-2017.
(except on Sundays).
....P Gangadhara Rao, Dy GS.
From the Website of BSNLEU
[05.09.2017] DoT is totally against any wage revision to BSNL employees.
It is learned from reliable sources that, the DoT is totally against giving any wage revision to BSNL employees, based on the recommendations of the 3rd PRC. Even though, BSNL has sent a favourable note to the DoT, recommending wage revision to BSNL employees with 15% fitment, the DoT has taken a strong position that BSNL’s financial position does not permit the Company to give any wage revision to it’s employees. It is also learned from reliable sources that the Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications is also totally convinced by the arguments of the DoT, against wage revision to BSNL employees. BSNLEU has been firmly telling that, wage revision to BSNL employees is not possible, without serious and sustained struggles. But, leaders of some of the unions and associations joined hands with the BSNL Management, and were telling the workers that the DoT and the Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications were very positive towards settlement of wage revision in BSNL. However, such leaders are remaining silent nowadays. BSNLEU wishes to once again tell that, united, serious and sustained struggles alone can ensure wage revision to BSNL employees.
As reported in this Website earlier, the Government has decided to revise pension/family pension of DOT pensioners under a new formulation. The Last Pay Drawn by a DOT employee (all those retired before 1-10-2000 from Department of Telecom) has to be revised applying the revision formulae suggested by all subsequent CPCs and the pension from 1-1-2016 should be fixed at 50% of last figure arrived as per Pay Matrix.
Orders were issued by Directorate again and again.
But, Directorate in its latest letter dated 29-8-2017 admits that only 1059 cases have been settled by DOT Cells when there are total 91317 cases.
It means just 1.16% percent cases have been settled as on 16-8-2017.
NOT EVEN 2 PERCENT!
Instead of issuing orders again and again the Directorate should take action to augment staff in DOT CELLs to complete the extra work.dot-on-new-option-cases.pdf
Shri Arun Kumar Sharma from Meerut reports:
Recently the UP West Circle Office branch has enrolled 55 life members including the following six Retired Chief Engineers of Civil Wing and Electrical wing:
1. Shri Yogesh Kumar
2. Shri M K Jain
3. Shri Tikam Singh
4. Shri Harbajan singh
5. Shri A K Bansal and
6. Shri A K Gupta
.....................................................
CHQ RECEIVED A SUM OF RUPEES 7,14,500 AS DONATIONS IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2017.
EARLIER, WE HAD RECEIVED RS 17,21,516.00.
[DETAILS ARE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF PATRIKA].
TOTAL RECEIPT UP TO 31-8-2017 IS ... RS. 24,36,016.00
DETAILS IN ATTACHMENT: donations-received-in-august-2017.pdf
We are happy to note that Shri Kishan Singh, General Secretary of All India Retired BSNL Executives Welfare Association, New Delhi has written a letter to Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Communications demanding pension revision with CPC formula.The last paragraph of his letter reads:
“In view of the above submissions, your kind personal intervention is solicited to take urgent steps to get the pension revision implemented for BSNL Retirees, who are Central Service Pensioners drawing pension from Government of lndia on combined service rendered in DOT and BSNL under Rule 37-A of CCS Pension Rules 1972. Pension revision for BSNL Pensioners needs to be implemented w.e.f. 01.01.2017 based on 7th CPC fitment formula with multiplying factor of 2.515, as illustrated in para 4.6.2 above, after the due approval of the Union Cabinet”.
It is worth remembering that the above Association has been vehementally demanding pension revision with PRC formula.They went to the extent of saying that if the serving Executives get pay revision with 15% fitment benefit, we the pensioners will automatically will get pension revision with that formula. Now, they have understood the reality.
We knew that nothing will come automatically, We have to struggle for any gain. We knew that a regular sustainable system for our pension revision should be based on CPC formulae only. One by one all are coming to our line of thinking. We are happy. We welcome the change.
WHAT THEY WILL REVIEW?In April 2017, BSNL Corporate Office issued orders restoring the medical allowance without voucher for pensioners. It was mentioned in the order that the scheme will be reviewed after six months. Six months period will be over by end of this month. But, no circle has so far started paying the said medical allowance. Then what are they going review?
The Corporate Office issues many orders. Circles simply ignore. This is the present high tech management system of BSNL. How can such a company progress?