Bharat Pensioner’s Samaj presentation to 7th CPC
By
S.C. Maheshwari
Secretary General Bharat Pensioners Samaj
E-mail: bharatpensioner@gmail.com
Web Sites: www.bharatpensioner.org
Pensioners aspirations
Pensioners are asking for only what is provided in the constitution , service conditions & pronounced by the Apex Court
- Pension is not largesse but a right.
- Should be adequate to enable retd. employee to live with standard he was living.
- There Should be no discrimination on the basis of date of retirement.
- Gap between haves & have lots should go on reducing
- Healthcare is a fundamental right of ex employee.
Pensionable employee were deprived of Govt. 8.33% PM of
salary, matching contribution to PF & were paid
low salaries designed to cater for Pension
(6th CPC study by Dr K . Gyithri)
Quantum of pension
Pension of Govt. employees need to be 65% of last drawn as
per 5th CPC study (TECS ). Correspondingly Family Pension to be 45% of
last drawn.Fitment benefit exactly same as for employees. BPS urge 7th
pay comm. to recommend accordingly to do justice .
Emoluments for Pension
DA of Govt. employees is part of salary. It compensate
fall in purchase value of salary. Should be taken into account for
calculation of pension as it affects commutation & future DR
Parity in Pension
Pension of pre & post retired SC,HC judges, CAG, Cab.
Secy.& Secy. is at par. One rank one pension has been acceded to
Defence forces retirees . Others too are citizens of this Country, then
why disrimination.BPS Plead for 100% parity to all Pensioners
Full and modified parity will be meaningless unless the actual
grades and grade pays implemented to serving employees on revision are
taken into consideration. For some categories especially at lower and
middle levels, grades higher than those actually recommended by the
Commissions were implemented for employees in service. They were not
extended for modified and full parity to those who retired prior to
revision in the corresponding posts on the pretext that what were
implemented were improved grades and grade pays. This resulted in
invidious discrimination against and grave injustice to past retirees.
The gap in pensions due to this ever widens not only with every
subsequent revision but also whenever additional installment of DR and
when additional quantum based on advanced age are granted.
Parity, full or modified, will be meaningful and confer real
benefit on past retirees only when the actual grades and grade pays
implemented for serving employees are taken for this purpose. This
injustice is happening only when a higher grade or grade pay is given to
a certain category after revision. We respectfully submit that
certain sections of past pensioners are not able to get justice in the
matter of full/modified parity due to the above discriminatory
treatment. A Group-B officer, who retired in III CPC scale had been
brought down one scale lower w.e.f., 1.1.96 and to Rs.4200/- GP w.e.f.,
1.1.2006 whereas a IV CPC Group-B officer got Rs.4600/- GP w.e.f.,
1.1.2006 and a V CPC Group-B officer got Rs.4800/- GP in revision. This
injustice has occurred to many categories of pre-2006 retirees. We
appeal to the Commission to do full justice to all past retirees in the
above regard by making suitable recommendations.
Pre-2006 pensioners were given 40% fitment benefit whereas serving
employees were given grade pay. This resulted in grave imbalance
between pre and post 2006 pensioners. In order to rectify this,
notional fixation has to be extended w.e.f., 1.1.2006 to pre 2006
pensioners taking 50% of corresponding grade pay into account so that
they will be brought on a common platform with post 2006 pensioners and
they will all get equal justice in the next revision as per VII CPC. We
urge the Commission to recommend same fitment benefit to employees as
well as pensioners to avoid imbalance between past and future pensioners
and also same multiplication factor for revision to one and all to
ensure equal treatment.
No cut off dates
Revision of Pension by Pay comm. is to neutralize
inflationary effect . Inflation affects all equally with- out cut
off date. Then why cut off dates for implementation of Pay comm.
recommendations?
7th CPC recommendations should apply to all pensioners
without cut-off dates .All new benefits to apply to present
pensioners. Pension of all should rise by equal % to ensure equality.
Minimum-Maximum Ratio
Ratio mini- max. emoluments i.e. Basic + DA+IR was down to
1:8 on 1.7.96 prior to Vth CPC implementation. 7CPC must bring it back
to that level.
Gulf between highest & lowest paid
Huge gulf between lowest & highest pension need to be
narrowed, should not be more than 1:8.Revise pay/pension of top person
first, divide it by 8 to calculate minimum.
Any attempt to increase highest & lowest paid ratio in
Govt jobs will be disastrous and against the preamble to constitution.
Additional old age pension
100 yrs of age for a pensioner is illusionary BPS requests the
Hon’ble comm. to review existing dispensation & to recommend
10%upward increase in pension every 5 yrs from 65yrs to 75yrs , 20%
every 5yrs from 75- 85yrs & finally increasing pension to 100% at 90
yrs of age. As in the present scenario old age disabilities/diseases
set-in right from 60 yrs of age & go on manifesting v. fast needing
additional medical & caregiver expenditure.
Pension to be net of Income Tax
Purchase value of pension gets reduced day by day due to steep rise
in food, medical & transport cost. Net worth of a pensioner gets
considerably reduced at year end compared to the beginning of the year.
To enable a pensioner in the evening of life to live with minimum
comfort, BPS appeals that Pension may be exempted from Income tax.
DR Merger
BPS requests the pay comm. to recommend merger of Dearness allowance with basic pension whenever it goes 50% or beyond.
Due to inherent flaws in the method of inflation index
calculation which is based on WPI. DR is never sufficient to afford
100% neutralization. Whenever DR rise to 50% & above, it results in
considerable erosion of financial position of Pensioners.
Ex- servicemen status
Defence civilian are paid from defence budget. Are accorded
Rank equivalency. BPS urge pay comm. To recommend ex- servicemen
status to retd. Defence civilians.
BSNL pensioners
BSNL pensioners are governed by Rule 137A of CCS (Pension)
Rules 1972. BPS pleads that they be treated at par with C .G.
Pensioners for pension fixation.
Family pensioners other than spouse
Family pension is restricted to daughters who become divorcee or
widow during the life time of Parents. Social Structure always force a
widow or divorced lady to return to parental home. In the absence of
parents illiterate ladies have to feed themselves & children by
doing menial jobs & living as destitutes. Removal of present
restriction will help these ladies to lead honorable life. BPS appeals
to hon’ble comm. to consider the issue on humanitarian grounds & to
recommend removal of this restriction .
New Pension Scheme
TO ensure social security. Amend it to guarantee minimum
50% of last drawn as pension & Family pension as per exiting pre
2004 scheme
Restoration of commuted value
Commutation is an advance sanctioned to pensioner at
specific conditions & rate of intt. at the time of retirement
which is recoverable from pension in regular monthly installments. Thus
the recovery must stop the day total amount with interest is
recovered.BPS requests that Commuted value of Pension be restored after
10yrs.
Restoration of commutation to PSU absorbees
Presently in case of pensioners other than PSU absorbees
pensioners, recovery of commuted value of pension lasts 15 yrs, where as
in case of PSU absorbees this recovery continues till survival which is
discriminatory. In their case also fullpension should be restored, the
day sanctioned amount with interest is fully recovered.
Injustice to those born onIst jan & on Ist july
Modified FR56(a) requires every one whose date of birth is
the first of month to retire from service on the afternoon of last day
of preceding month on attaining superannuation age. As a result, those
born on Ist of Jan loose pay & pensionrevision benefits due to pay
comm. recommendations and those born on Ist july loose benefit of one
increment. They are deprived of equality of status. Hon’ble pay comm. is
requested to set right the discrepancy.
Gratuity
We suggest that the gratuity may be calculated on the basis of 26 effective days as against 30 days in a month.
The ceiling of 16.5 times should also be removed.
Health care
Healthcare is not a luxury to be in possession of
privileged few. All Govt. pensioners must be issued smart cards for
cashless treatment in emergencies in any empanelled/NABH accredited
hospital in the country. BPS requests the Honourable commission to
recommend accordingly .
Quality healthcare
To ensure quality healthcare to pensioners . Periodically
upgrade CGHS rates, to keep these compatible to market rates. Exercise
rate & quality control on Govt. empanelled hospitals.
Hospital Regulatory authority
Constitute hospital regulatory authority to monitor quality
& rates of empanelled & NABH /NABL accredited hospitals / Labs
to ensure quality healthcare at affordable rates.
Fixed Medical allowance
As is recorded in Para 5 of the minutes of Committee of
Secretaries (COS) held on 15.04.2010. OPD cost per CGHS card holder was
Rs1369/ PM in 2007-8. With inflation, it is well over Rs 2500/PM
now.EPFO baneficiaries already getting RS 2000/PM FMA wef June.013.
Hon’ble comm. is requested to recomend Rs 2500/FMA w/o distance
restriction, net of Income Tax and allowing DR on it.
Grievance redressal
There should be an effective redressal mechanism with a
strict Time line & punitive clause for violation of time line. Any
court judgement involving a common policy matter of Pay/Pension should
be extended automatically to similarly placed employees/Pensioners
without driving every affected person to court of Law.
BPS, therefore, appeal to Hon’ble Comm. to recommend accordingly.
Immediate relief
Pending submission of commission’s report &
implementation of its recommendations . As an immediate measure to
partially mitigate sufferings of pensioners, BPS appeal to the Hon’ble
comm. to immediately recommend merger of 50% DR with basic pension &
an interim relief of 20% of existing pension.
General
- Federations of C.G. Pensioners’ associations be granted recognition by Government.
- Pensioners’ representatives should be included in various Committees & Forums wherein issues relating to pensioners’ are discussed & decided.
- SCOVA may be upgraded to JCM level.
- Scope of Pension Adalats be widened to include Genl.Grievances& Pensioners associations may be permitted to present pensioners cases in Pension Adalats.
THANK YOUSource: http://scm-bps.blogspot.in/2015/02/bps-to-7th-cpc-presentation.html