Bharat Pensioners Samaj writes to Prime Minister
Bharat
Pensioners’ Samaj writes a letter to Prime Minister as reply for his
letter dated 31.03.2015. The content of the letter is reproduced and
given below for your information…
BHARAT PENSIONERS’ SAMAJ
(All India Federation of Pensioners’ Associations)
2/13-A, LGF Backside, Jangpura ‘A’, New Delhi-110014
BPS writes to Prime Minister
NO SG/PM/01/51
To
The Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of India New Delhi
Ref: Prime Minister’s letter dated 31.03.2015 to Elderly
Sir,
Greetings,
On
behalf of Bharat Pensioners Samaj, a conglomeration of around 650
Pensioners organizations, the undersigned extends gratitude for the
feelings conveyed through your letter dated 31-03-2015 addressed
to Elderly. BPS is not only delighted but proud that the country has a
Prime Minister who truly believes in Indian ethos, cares and
respects his elderly. Sir, you justifyfully deserve the blessings of the
Elderly of the country.
Encouraged by your open heartedness,
undersigned on behalf of BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ avail the privilege
writing follow lines for your consideration:
Rightly Prime
Minister Sir, Present day Elderly which includes the fraternity of Civil
Pensioners, belongs to the privileged generation which has had the
honor of contributing of both India’s independence, &consequent
Nation building. Forgoing 8.33% matching Govt. contribution to PF and
accepting salaries which were intentionally designed at lower level to
cater to the pension to be paid after retirement. The Civil Pensioners’
of today, during their productive years worked hard for the development
of the country with the hope that the Nation will take care of them
during the evening of their lives. Even today whenever need arises due
to natural calamities or otherwise, they are first to come forward with
monetary as well as physical support & stand shoulder to shoulder
with the administration and the fellow citizen to the extent of donating
organs & even the whole body so that others may live to serve
this beautiful country. Despite old age they make endless contributions
to their families, communities and society. They contribute as family
care givers, as workers, consumers, volunteers and taxpayers. In-fact
they are the ones who have been & are still paying Taxes most
honestly.
Earnestly they look forward to a peaceful and healthy
life. And a life of dignity and respect where they are free from want
and able to live with the standard they were used to. Prime minister
Sir, Civil Pensioners only aspire for uniform & discrimination-free
application of what is laid down in the constitution, what the supreme
court has pronounced, what is covered by their service conditions and to
what they have contributed.
Sir, in this country Supreme court /
high court judges, CAG, Cab, Secy & Secys, enjoy 100% parity of
pension between pre & post retirees. You have also promised One Rank
One Pension to Defense Personnel. Why then the other civil Pensioners
are being discriminated against. Are they 2nd class Citizens?. At least
for them carry forward the modified parity formula enunciated by Vth CPC
& accepted by the then Govt. but discontinued due to disillusioned
recommendations of 6th CPC. And reduce the Ratio between minimum &
maximum paid to the international level with equal % rise in pension of
all.
Health care: Sir you will agree “Health is
not a luxury” and “not be the sole possession of a privileged few”.
India may be a young Nation today but is fast getting old. From govt,
staff alone, over a lac are retiring every year at 60yrs. Demographic
forecast suggest, every 5th Indian to be 60+ by2050, over 30% of whom
will be ex govt/PSU employees. 90% 60+Indians suffer from one or other
old age ailment/disability and every year millions are being pushed
below poverty line due to out of pocket expenditure on health care. If
adequate immediate corrective steps are not taken India will be a Nation
of limping poor oldies.
As per the law laid down by the apex
court, healthcare is a Fundamental justify of all present & past
Employees Bharat Pensioners Samaj request the honorable prime Minister
to sensitize his Govt, on-
Ensuring hassle free health care
facility to all Pensioners/family pensioners without discrimination of
departments & distances ; issuing Smart Cards irrespective of
departments, to all Pensioners/ Family Pensioners and their Dependent
for cashless medical facilities across the country. These smart cards
should be valid in all Govt. hospitals all NABH accredited
Multi Super Speciality hospitals across the country which have been
allotted land at concessional rate or given any aid or concession by the
Central or the State govt. all CGHS, RELHS & ECHS empanelled
hospitals across the country.
Medical attendants: For reimbursement of bills for treatment & for hospitalization: No
referral should be insisted in case of medical emergencies. For the
purpose of reference for hospitalization & reimbursement of
expenditure thereon in other than emergency cases, doctors/Medical
officers working in different Central/ State Govt. department
dispensaries/health units should be recognized as Authorized medical
attendant.
The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of
health is recognized as a fundamental justify of all workers in terms of
Article 21 read with Article 39 a, 41, 43, 48A and all related Articles
as pronounced by the Supreme Court in Consumer Education and Research
Centre & Others vs Union of India (AIR 1995 Supreme Court 922) The
Supreme court has held that:
“the justify to health to a worker is
an integral facet of meaningful justify to life to have not only a
meaningful existence but also robust health and vigour. Therefore, the
justify to health, medical aid to protect the health and vigour of a
worker while in service or post retirement is a fundamental justify -to
make life of a worker meaningful and purposeful with dignity of
person. Thus health care is not only a welfare measure but is a
Fundamental justify”.
We suggest that, all the pensioners,
irrespective of pre-retrial class and status, be treated as same
category of citizens and the same homogenous group. There should be no
class or category based discrimination and all must be provided Health
care services at par. BPS also request the Hon’ble PM to recommend to
his govt. to make preventive health care an essential ingredient of all
health care schemes for retired Persons. CGHS & RELHS should be
expanded/improved and also CMSA Rules 1944 be extended to pensioners
residing outside CGHS area.
Hospital Regulatory Authority:
To ensure that the hospitals do not avoid providing reasonable care to
smart card holders and other poor citizens, a Hospital Regulatory
Authority should be created to bring all NABH-accredited hospitals and
NABL-accredited diagnostic Labs under its constant monitoring of
quality, rates for different procedures & timely bill payments by
Govt.agencies and Insurance companies. CGHS rates may be revised
periodically keeping in mind the workability as per market conditions.
Fixed Medical allowance(FMA):
As is recorded in Para 5 of the minutes of Committee of Secretaries
(COS) held on 15.04.2010 (Reference Cabinet Secretariat, Rashtrapati
Bhavan No 502/2/3/2010-C.A.V Doc No.CD (C.A.V)42/2010 Minutes of COS
meeting dated 15.04.2010) Which discussed enhancement of FMA. “CGHS card
estimates for serving Personnel: Since estimates are not available
separately for pensioners M/O Health & Family Welfare had assessed
the total cost per card p.a. in 2007-2008 = Rs 16435 i.e. Rs.1369
per month for OPD”.
Adding to it inflation, the figure today is well
over Rs 2000/- PM. Ministry of Labour & Employment, Govt of India
vide its letter no. G-25012/2/2011-SSI dated 07.06.2013 has already
enhanced FMA to Rs 2000/- PM for EPFO beneficiaries. Thus, to help
elderly pensioners to look after their health, adequate raise in FMA
will encourage a good number of pensioners to opt out of OPD facility
reducing overcrowding in hospitals. OPD through Insurance will cost much
more to the Govt.
We suggest that FMA for all C.G. Pensioners be
raised to at least Rs 2500/- PM without any distance restriction
as distance restriction is discriminatory to those who do not choose
Govt. schemes/ hospitals.
Further link it to Dearness Relief
for automatic increase. BPS also request that FMA be exempted from
INCOME TAX. Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) is a compensatory allowance to
reimburse the medical expenses. As Medical Reimbursement is not
taxable, FMA should also be exempted from Income Tax.
Lingering Litigation on Pensioners matters due to uncalled for Appeals by Government:
Govt.
should not indirectly pressurize courts by appealing again & again
to get judgments reversed in its favor & must implement all court
judgments in case of all similarly placed persons.
Fifth CPC
recommended in para 126.3 that any Court Judgement involving a common
policy matter of pay/pension to a group of employees/pensioners, should
be extended automatically to similarly placed employees/pensioners
without driving every affected individual to the Courts of law. This
recommendation is never followed by GOI, with the result Pensioners
in the evening of their lives, are forced to approach the legal forums,
seeking the same relief. This in turn, bulges court dockets
&drain pockets of pensioners.
Honorable Prime minister is requested to advise his Govt. to look into this matter and to take suitable steps.
Sir,
aspirations of the pensioners fraternity brought out in foregoing Paras
are Just, minimum &well within the constitutional provision
&policies of your Govt.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj the oldest
& the largest Federation of Pensioners Associations in the country
is sure that the honorable Prime Minister will live up to Indian ethos
to make evening of elderly civil pensioners’ reasonably comfortable.
Source:
Bharat Pensioners Samaj
