Today morning, we sought intervention of Mr Saravanakumar IAS, Private Secretary to Minister for Communications in the case of 78.2%.

He immediately replied assuring his intervention.

A WEDDING CELEBRATION

Com. T S Vittoban, CHQ Treasurer, celebrated the wedding of his son Mr Ajay with Ms Shrilekha on 10-2-2016 in Chennai. Large number of our comrades including GS , attended the function.

We wish the couple a long ideal and happy wedded life.

78.2% IDR for Pension Revision

The final cabinet note is with the new Secretary, Telecom. Once Secretary clears the file, the note will be submitted to Minister of Communications and then to the Cabinet. All the points raised by the various Ministries have been addressed in the cabinet note. The cabinet note also addresses the issue of 'the arrangement' made between Government and BSNL as required under Sub Rule 22 of Rule 37A of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. However, the details of the new 'arrangement' proposed are not known.

The new Secretary Mr. J S Deepak IAS is not new to Telecom. He was Joint Secretary, Telecom five years back. He only wrote some letters to BSNL then on 60:40 issue involved in the Pension liability in Telecom. Hence, he must be aware of the background of the case. Our CHQ has addressed a letter to Shri Deepak requesting immediate clearance of the file. We are trying to have a meeting with the Secretary.

One extra Increment was granted to Grade III officials who did not get promotion to Grade IV. CCAs in seven Circles refused to count this extra increment as pay while fixing pension. Their plea was that with this extra increment the pay crossed maximum of the pay scale and hence it can not be taken as pay.

Kerala circle Unit of our Association and four members filed a case in CAT, Ernakulam. On 15-3-2012 the CAT gave a judgement and asked DoT to re-fix pension counting the extra increment even if the pay exceeded the maximum of pay scales. Four months time was given to implement their order.It was not honoured.

As directed by the Directorate of DoT, the Kerala CCA filed an appeal in High Court. In July 2015, the High Court dismissed the appeal. Even after seven months, the Court order is not honoured. Directorate has not given any instruction to CCA, Kerala despite repeated requests.

Almost four years have passed since the CAT judgement. Directorate is not responding to various communications on the case. Finding no alternative, our Association has filed a ‘contempt of Court’ petition against the DoT and CCA etc. The CAT, Ernakulam has registered the petition.

Our Vijayawada District Unit organised a special meeting of the branch on 7-2-2016. Com. P Gangadhara Rao, Dy GS was the Special Guest on the occasion who spoke elaborately on 78.2% case, the future Pension Revision in BSNL, the Pension Anomaly etc. etc. He narrated the efforts made by our Assoiciiaon to settle these cases.

Com. V V S Murthy (AGS), Com. K S Koteswara Rao (Circle Secretary), Com. M R S Prakasa Rao (Circle President), Com. N R K Murthy (Dist President), and Com. N S Sarma also addressed the meeting, attended by more than 450 members.

On 4th February 2016, the workers of Greece, in Athens city, organised mammoth rallies demanding a proper pension system ensuring social security. It was part of a 24 hours general strike organised under the banner of PAME, a left wing Trade Union in Greece.

[Courtesy: Trade Union International P&R]

According to the report appeared in Times of India, 45 lakh cases were pending in 24 High Courts as in June, 2014. It is not known how many cases are pending in various benches of CAT.

CAT was created as a mechanism to ensure speedy re-dressal of grievances of employees and pensioners in service matter. But, the experience is other way round. Many of the Courts are over loaded. 30-35% posts of judges are lying vacant for years together.

Only when justice is denied people go to Court. Going to the Court itself is the first punishment. Hence, everybody wants to avoid it.

If the court fails to give them the remedy in time, where shall the people go?

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Our AGS Com. R C Malhotra reports at 4 PM :

"The File containing the Cabinet Note on 78.2% has just moved to Secretary, Telecom".

A sum of Rs 3575 has been credited in the accounts of CHQ by the bank on 29-1-2016.

We are waiting for details. The branch which has sent the amount may please contact the Treasurer and give details.

Com. W Seshagiri Rao, veteran leader of JTOs and Executives in Telecom/BSNL expired today morning at 1 AM in Bangalore after a cardiac arrest. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Maximum of 6 tickets can be booked by an individual user in a month through IRCTC

This new provision will come into effect w.e.f. 15th February, 2016. The move aims to deter touts and to facilitate genuine users

Other restrictions are:

1. Individuals are allowed only 2 tickets per user-ID in a day (for ARP booking) from 08:00 hours to 10.00 hours.
2. Individuals are allowed only 2 tickets per user-ID in a day (for Tatkal booking) from 10:00 hours to 12:00 hours.
3. Quick Book Option is disabled from 08:00 to 12:00 hours
4. All types of ticketing agents (YTSK, RTSA, IRCTC agents etc.) have been debarred from booking tickets during the first thirty minutes of opening of booking i.e. from 08:00 to 08:30 hours for general bookings, and from 10:00 to 10:30 hours and 11:00 to 11:30 hours for Tatkal booking in AC and non-AC classes respectively.
5. Booking is not allowed through e-wallet and cash cards from 08:00 to 12:00 hours.
6. There is only one booking in one user login session except for return/onward journey between 08:00 to 12:00 hours.

On January 30, 1948, three gun shots rent the air. These shots changed the course of history and shocked the world.

It was a little past 5 p.m. in Delhi, on January 30, 1948. What followed that fateful day, plunged our country in gloom, and you could say it changed the course of our history. It certainly shocked the whole world.

Shri J S Deepak IAS (57) is appointed as the new Secretary, Telecom. Earlier, he had worked as Joint Secretary in Telecom from 2008 to 2010.

Shri Rakesh Garg has been shifted from Telecom to Minority Affairs Department in a reshuffle of senior officers, taken place today.

The Consumer price Index for December 2015 is declared.

It is 269 Points.

It is One Point less than the Index of November 2015.

With this Index the rate of CDA from 1-1-2016 can be calculated as under:

Average for the 12 months (January-December 2015): 261.33

Increase over 115.76 points merged w.e.f.1-1-2006: 145.57

Percentage of increase over 115.76 points:125.8%

[Normally fraction is ignored while fixing rate of CDA.]

Expected CDA from 1-1-2016 is 125%.

6% increase from 119%, effective from July 2015.

CMD of BSNL told on 28-1-2016:

“There will not be any wage revision in BSNL next year unless the Company is profitable…..unless we are profitable the salary is not going to be revised," Shrivastava said speaking after launching BSNL Mobile Data Offload service in Karnataka.

…Pointing out that in the past Air India and ITI couldn't revise their salaries.......BSNL after about four years of reporting losses posted an operating profit of Rs 672 crore for the financial year 2014-15 compared to an operating loss of Rs 691 crore in the previous fiscal. Calling 2014-15 as the turnaround year for BSNL as it came back to operational profit of Rs 672 crore, Shrivastava said with the support of all the officers and employees the company will increase the profit and within another two to three years (2018-19) it will achieve net profit also.” [News in Economic Times]

It is not made clear if the CMD wants net profit or operating profit to revise the salary.

Accounts pandits can debate on it.

Anyhow, it is a clear warning.It should open the eyes of those who want pension revision along with wage revision in BSNL.

TODAY AT 1245 HOURS, COM. D GOPALAKRISHNAN SPOKE TO MEMBER (FINANCE), TELECOM COMMISSION.

MEMBER INFORMED THAT THE CABINET NOTE IS BEING MOVED TO CABINET SECRETARIAT.

NEW OFFICE FOR OUR CHQ

Our CHQ is now functioning from new premises in Chennai city.

Letters may be sent to the new address:

AH 189/61, 3rd Street,

Auroville Flats,

Anna Nagar, Chennai - 600 040.

Com. V N Sampath Kumar will be available in the office.

His Phone Number is 044-26280100.

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Telephone Number of Com. G Natarajan, GS remains the same: 09444929799

Photos:

On 26-01-2016, a special general body meeting was held by Visakhapatnam SSA Unit of our Association on the occasion of visit of the city by our Dy GS Com. P Gangadhara Rao.

About 150 members attended the meeting presided over by District President, Shri Sreemannarayana. Circle Executive Committee members from Visakhaptanam like Comrades Somasundaram, Someswara Rao, and Manikyala Rao as well as the leaders from Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were present on the occasion.

Com. Gangadhara Rao congratulated the district unit for having the membership over 500. He spoke elaborately on the issue of 78.2% and the efforts made by our Association in Bangalore, Delhi and other places. He apprised the meeting of the present position of the case.

Dy GS spoke on the clear and correct position taken by our Association on future pension revision in BSNL demanding revision of IDA pension with the fitment formula suggested by 7^th CPC for all other central government pensioners.

Com. Gangadhara Rao spoke also on the need of good food habits and other methods to maintain good health.