As per the reply given by the Minister of Labour and Employement, Shri.Santosh Kumar Gangawar in Parliament on 12-03-2018, the rate of interest for Employees Provident Fund is reduced to 8.55% for the year 2017-18. It was 8.65% for the last year, 2016-17.
The government has no hesitation to deny the due and genuine benefits to the workers while granting so many concessions to the rich and the corporate.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION NO 1170
ANSWERED ON 06.03.2018
1170 Shri Neeraj Shekhar
Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state :-
(a) whether Government is actively contemplating to increase minimum pay from Rs.18,000/- to Rs.21,000/- and fitment factor from 2.57 to 3, in view of resentment among Central Government employees over historically lowest increase in pay by 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC);
(b) if so, the details thereof and the date from which it would be implemented; and
(c ) if not, the reasons for the callous attitude of Government towards Government Employees?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE
( SHRI P RADHAKRISHNAN )
(a),(b)&(c ): The minimum pay of Rs.18,000/- p.m. and fitment factor of 2.57 are based on the specific recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission in the light of the relevant factors taken into account by it. Therefore, no change therein is at present under consideration.
09.03.2018
CPAO/IT &Tech/Bank Performance/37 (Vol-II) 2017-18/204
Memorandum
It is observed that some of the banks are not following the guidelines of the Income Tax Act regarding tax deduction on pension payments. Pensioners have raised grievances relating to the deduction of income tax at the fag end of the year causing undue financial hardship to the pensioners. Moreover. there is considerable delay in the issuance of Form 16 to the pensioners and in some cases Form-16 are being issued to the pensioners.
In view of the above, all Heads of CPPCs are advised to deduct the income tax at the time of each payment itself and issue Form -16 by of May every year and follow the Income tax guidelines issued from time to time.
(Md. Shahid Kamal Ansari)
(Asstt. Controller of Accounts)
The Circle branch of the AIBDPA was formed in Telecom Factory Mumbai on 8th March 2018, in a largely attended convention of the pensioners of the telecom factory. The BSNL EU office where the convention was held could not accommodate all the comrades present and many had to sit in the open space. Com. B.H.Naikodi, senior leader presided. Com.S.D.Choudhary, Circle Secretary BSNLEU welcomed all and spoke about the need to form the circle union of AIBDPA. Coms. S.A.Tendulkar, B.P.Petkar, Circle Patron,Maharashtra, Suryavanshi, Circle President, MH Circle and other comrades addressed. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor, AIBDPA in his inaugural speech mentioned about the formation of AIBDPA, the activities for advancing the demands of the BSNL Pensioners and also about the issues of the wage revision / pension revision etc. He congratulated the TF Mumbai comrades for their decision to form the AIBDPA Circle Union.
After discussion, it was decided to form the Circle union of AIBDPA in TF Mumbai and office-bearers with Com. Vilas Pharande as President, Com. R.Y.Wiangnakar as Circle Secretary and Com. M.M.Mahadik as Treasurer was unanimously elected.
An Open Session was held in the afternoon of the same day in the Conference Hall. About 150 comrades participated. Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri inaugurated. Com. Vilas Pharande, Circle President presided. Com.S.D.Choudhary and Circle Secretary welcomed all. CGM TF Smt. Sajala Garg, Comrades Balachandra Mane, ACS, BSNLEU MH Circle, B.P.Petkar, Suryavanshi, Deepak Chandrakar, V.V.Pawar (AIBSNLEA) and other leaders addressed. Officers of the BSNL were also present.
We congratulate the Circle Union BSNLEU and the Pensioners for the conference and formation of AIBDPA.
NEWLY ELECTED OFFICE BEARERS WITH COM.V.A.N.NAMBOODIRI.
We are reproducing the post in the website of SNEA on Pension Revision of BSNL Pensioners.
“GS and President met Shri Prabhash Singh, Member(T&S), Telecom Commission on 09.03.2018 and held discussions on the following issues:
a) Pension revision for the Govt pensioners retired from BSNL with 15% fitment: We explained the meeting with the Hon Minister and the Secretary on the issue on 24.02.2018 in which Hon Minister directed DoT to take actions for the pension revision. The revision is due w.e.f 01.01.2017. Pension revision is not related with the affordability or paying capacity of BSNL. Union Cabinet already decided a fitment of 15% for the pay revision which will be applicable for the pensioners also. In 2007, Cabinet approved 30% fitment for the pay revision and the same was extended to the pensioners also. Accordingly we requested to move a Cabinet note separately for pension revision of the pensioners with 15% fitment, w.e.f 01.01.2017. Member(Services) assured to do the needful and told us to meet again in the first week of April for further discussions.”
We thank the SNEA leaders for demanding and taking up the issue of Pension Revision in the correct perspective.
As per the report submitted in the Lok Sabha, by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the number of people employed in the Khadi sector has come down from 11.6 lakh in 2015–16 to 4.6 lakh in 2016–17. Interestingly, between 2015–16 and 2016–17 the production of Khadi has increased by 31.6% and sales have grown by 33%. Still 7 lakh jobs are gone.
F.No.42/14/2017-P&PW(G)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, P.G and Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare’
3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan
Khan Market, New Delhi-110008
Date:- 08th March, 2018
Office Memorandum
The undersigned is directed to refer to subject cited above and to say that the grant of dearness relief to rc»employed pensioners/family pensioners is presently regulated in accordance with the instructions contained in this Department’s 0M No. dated 02.07.1999 and subsequently amended vide this Department’s dated 38/88/2008- dated 09.07.2009
2. DoPT, vide their OM No.3/3/2016-Estt.(Pay II) dated 01.05.2017 have issued instructions for revision of ignorable amount of pension from Rs.4000/- to Rs. 15000/- (Rupees Fifteen Thousand) for the purpose of fixation of pay in the re-employment post. Accordingly, the amount Of Rs. 4000/- appearing in this Department’s 0M dated 09.07.2009 is revised as Rs. 15000/- (Rupees Fifteen Thousand). The other conditions for grant of dearness relief In OM dated 02.07 1999 remain the same.
3. In their application to Indian Audit Accounts Department, these orders are being issued after consultation With the Comptroller & Auditor General of India.
4. This issues With the concurrence of Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure ID Note No.181/E-V/2017 dated 17.11.2017 and Department of Personnel & Training ID Note no dated 18.09.2017.
sd/-
(Charanjit Taneja)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
HOWRAH HOOGLY BRANCH.
The first Branch Conference of Howrah Hoogly has been held on 11-03-2018 at Tarakeswar. Com.Pijush Chakraborty, Circle Secretary inaugurated the conference explaining the current developments regarding pay/pension revision, the struggles by AIBDPA and All Unions and Associations. He stressed the significance of the struggles which made the government to change their attitude and the Minister of Communications discussed the issues with the leaders and gave assurances. A host of leaders from BSNLEU, CMU and AIBDPA including Com.A.K.Nandan,ACS and District Secretary, Kolkata addressed the meeting.
Coms.Ashoke Koley and Rabin Mitra were elected President and Secretary respectively.
A well attended generalbody meeting of Patna District Branch was held on 10-03-2018. Com.N.K.Srivastava, Circle Secretary inaugurated the meeting with an elaborate speech including the latest developments with regard to pay revision and pension revision.
The government yesterday allocated various telecom network projects to state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The government has allocated Rs 25,000 crore for completing the assigned tasks. Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha informed this news to Parliament yesterday. These big projects include laying of optical fibre based network dedicated for use by Defence worth Rs 13,334 crore and Rs 6,500 crore for execution of the second phase of BharatNet Project.
“Optical Fibre Cable based Network for Defence Services (NFS Project) has been given to BSNL on nomination basis at the cost of Rs 13,334 crore. For the execution of the BharatNet project, the government has provided Rs 5,744 crore in Phase-I and has earmarked Rs 6,500 crore in Phase-II for BSNL,” Sinha said, as reported by PTI.
Besides the projects mentioned above, BSNL has been awarded to roll out mobile networks in uncovered villages in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam at an estimated cost of Rs 1,975.38 crore. The government-owned PSU will also be responsible for implementing the transmission-media plan for North Eastern Region at an estimated cost of Rs 295.97 crore. It will also lay the submarine optical fiber cable project at the cost of Rs 1,900 crore for providing connectivity to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) and augmenting of satellite bandwidth in ANI and Lakshadweep Islands at an estimated cost of Rs 120.49 crore.
“Work of setting up of 25000 Wi-Fi Hotspots at Rural Telephone Exchanges at the cost of Rs 940 crore has been given to BSNL on nomination basis,” Sinha added.
Furthermore, at the same meeting, Sinha was asked about the revival of state-run firms BSNL and MTNL as both the companies have been incurring losses since FY 2009-10. As per Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines, both CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises) has been declared as “Incipient Sick”, Sinha added.
“Consequent upon declaration of BSNL as “Incipient Sick”, action has been initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for preparation of a revival/restructuring plan for BSNL as per DPE guidelines. Three Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) have been requested to submit their willingness for undertaking a study and preparation of a revival/restructuring plan for BSNL,” the telecom minister added.
He further confirmed that an “internal committee of DoT is examining the recommendations of the report prepared by the consultant to decide the path of financial, human resources and corporate restructuring for the revival of MTNL.”
Sinha also recommended the reduction in the retirement age from 60 years to 58 years for employees, voluntary retirement scheme, debt restructuring and synergy in operations of MTNL and BSNL.