A new flag mast was erected at Tiruvattipuram by the branch and AIBDPA flag hoisted by Com.Chinnapian on 16-11-2016. The meeting held in this connection was presided over by Com.Panneerselvam, Branch President. Com.Arumugam, Branch Secretary welcomed. Coms.V.Elumalai, District President, Krishnamoorthy, Circle Organising Secretary and Jothisudanthiranathan, District Secretary spoke.

Com.V.Sivaraman Nair, one of the forefront leaders of the P&T Trade union movement in Kerala has passed away on 18-11-2016 at Thiruvananthapuram. He has held many posts in the organisation including Circle Treasurer of E-III union, Divisional Secretary of Trivandrum Telegraph Division, District President of BSNL Employees Union  and Circle Vice President of AIBDPA. He also served as the President of P&T Co-Operative Society, Trivandrum for a long period. CHQ pays respectful homage to the departed leader and conveys heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and comrades.

Com. K. G. Jayaraj, General Secretary had a discussion with Member (Finance) and Director (Establishment) on 18-11-2016 regarding extension of pensionary benefits to BSNL absorbed retirees as per the changed pension rules consequent on implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations. He pointed out that all the benefits like  DCRG, Commutation, Qualifying service for pension etc were made applicable to BSNL pensioners after implementation of 6th Pay Commission recommendations as BSNL absorbed retirees are covered under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 amended from time time. The additional pension being granted after 80 years also has to be extended to the BSNL absorbed retirees. The Director stated that it is being processed.

The biennial district conference of Silchar, Assam was held on 05-11-2016 with Com.Manik Choudhury in the chair. Com.M.R.Das, Assistant General Secretary inaugurated the conference with an elaborate and inspiring speech. Biennial report and audited accounts were presented by Coms. Dipak Chakraborty, District Secretary and Ajoy Chakraborty, Treasure respectively and adopted after discussion.

The open session held in the evening was addressed by a host of leaders including Coms. Abhijit Choudhury, Divisional President, LIC Employees Union and Chayan Gupte, Secretary, EWTCC.

Office bearers were elected unanimously with Debabrata Das (President), Dipak Chakraborty (District Secretary) and Ajoy Chakraborty (Treasurer)

CHQ has written a letter to Shri.J.S.Deepak, Secretary, Department of Telecom demanding alternate arrangement for pension disbursement to the BSNL and DoT pensioners as the banks and post offices continue to be crowded with unending long queues consequent on the demonetisation of currency notes of Rs.1000 and 500. General Secretary, Com.K.G.jayaraj tried to meet the Secretary, DoT on 18-11-2016 but was not available and his Private Secretary received the letter and promised to hand over to the Secretary on 21-11-2016.

Thereafter General Secretary met Shri. Prahlad Singh, Member (Finance) and discussed the issue after handing over the copy of the letter. He was sympathetic and agreed to the ordeal and distress the pensioners have to face to draw their pension from both banks and post offices in the present situation. He stated that he would explore the possibility of some alternate arrangements to mitigate the hardships of the pensioners. <<view letter>>

The meeting of all the unions and associations in BSNL held at BSNLMS office on 16-11-2016 has decided to fight unitedly against the move of the government to form a subsidiary tower company with the ulterior motive of weakening BSNL. The meeting decided to organise mass dharna at SSA,Circle and Corporate office level on 25-11-2016 and ONE DAY STRIKE on 15-12-2016. Coms.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor and K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary also participated in the meeting.

All the AIBDPA units are requested to support the program and participate in the dharna en masse on 25-11-2016. 

Smt.Sharadamma, mother of Com.C.K.Gundanna, veteran leader and Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, Karnataka has passed away today after a brief illness. She was 88. 

AIBDPA conveys heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers has organised a phased program of agitation culminating in a strike against negative and retrograde stand of the central government on modifications sought by the National Joint Action Committee on unilateral implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations and non implementation of the assurances given by the group of ministers.

The 3rd phase of action is the Parliament March on 15-12-2016 at 10AM at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. AIBDPA is committed to support the program and therefore comrades of neighbouring circles, viz Rajasthan, UP, Haryana and Punjab are requested to participate in good numbers.

A similar call for participation is also being issued by the NCCPA.

The important issues focused including Option 1 for the pensioners are given below:

I). Honour the assurance given by the Group of Ministers to NJCA on 30^th June 2016 and 6^th July 2016, especially increase in minimum wage and fitment factor. Grant revised HRA at the existing percentage itself i.e. 30%, 20% and 10%. Accept the proposal of the staff side regarding Transport Allowance. Settle all anomalies arising out of implementation of 7^th CPC recommendations, in a time bound manner.

2.      Implement option-I recommended by 7^th CPC and accepted by the Government regarding parity in pension of pre-2016 pensioners, without any further delay. Settle the pension related issues raised by NJCA against item 13 of its memorandum submitted to Cabinet Secretary on 10^th December 2015. (See Annexure-I).

3.      Scrap PFRDA Act and New Pension System (NPS) and grant pension and Family Pension to all Central Government employees recruited after 01.01.2004, under CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.