Pension Revision- the need of the hour is a reasonable out of court settlement.

The Central Government employees from Department of Telecommunications and Department of Telecom Services were transferred enmasse on deputation to the new entity, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and later absorbed them with effect from 01-10-2000.During the formation of BSNL, the then Central Government led by Shri. A. B. Bajpaye had assured the erstwhile employees of Department of Telecommunications and Department of Telecom Services better prospects and government pension.Necessary amendment in the CCS( Pension) Rules, 1972 as Rule 37A was also made. Accordingly, pension to absorbed retirees of BSNL and MTNL is being paid from the Consolidated Fund by the Central Government.They were granted IDA Pay Scales and quarterly dearness allowance.

Pension Revision was also given from 01-01-2007 with 30% fitment, the maximum fitment recommended by the 2nd PRC for the CPSE Executives. The 3rd PRC has recommended a maximum fitment of 15% from 01-01-2017. Naturally, this has been our legitimate right and demand. But this has not been implemented in BSNL/ MTNL due to affordability conditions.

The government had initially taken a stand that pension revision is possible only after wage revision of BSNL MTNL employees. The government conveniently forget the fact that pension revision has nothing to do with wage revision as the full liability of pensionary benefits of absorbed BSNL MTNL pensioners is to be borne by the central government. Further, the pension contribution of the BSNL/ MTNL absorbed retirees have been paid to the government based on the maximum of their pay scales.

The Department of Telecommunications having been convinced of this fact had prepared an Internal Note proposing pension revision delinking wage revision and this was declared in the meeting with all the pensioners associations held on 17-10-2022 by the then Member ( Services ). The only disagreement in the meeting was the zero percent fitment proposed by DoT and after serious discussion, it was agreed to reconsider the fitment factor favourably. The file was processed accordingly and reached to near finality. Presumably due to the court cases filed by certain pensioners organizations and the subsequent PBCAT, Delhi order on pension revision, the settlement was eluded.

Though former Minister of Communications, Shri. Ashwini Vaishnav had assured a reasonable settlement even after the PBCAT order, nothing has happened thereafter. Also the goverment has gone back to its old stand, ” Pension Revision only after wage revision. ” Additionally, the government has got rather provided another excuse of ” subjudice “, thanks to the case filed by certain pensioners organizations seeking 7th CPC fitment.

At the same time government has decided to appoint 8th CPC for pay/ pension revision for the Central government employees and pensioners with effect from 01-01-2026. The unjust delay in their pension revision due from 01-01-2017 has naturally caused distress and unrest amongst the BSNL/ MTNL pensioners as there had been no pension revision for the last 181/2 years. During this period thousands of BSNL MTNL retirees have left this world without getting their legitimate right of pension revision.

Nobody can predict as to when the court case would come to a logical conclusion after the judgment by hon’ble High Court and thereafter the Supreme Court. And how many absorbed BSNL/ MTNL Pensioners would remain alive at that time to avail their legitimate right.

So there is absolutely no justification to deny the benefit of Pension Revision in the name of court case and the government should come forward for an out of court reasonable settlement at the earliest.