COM.V.A.N.NAMBOODIRI,OUR ADVISOR WILL REPRESENT ALL INDIA BSNL DOT PENSIONERS ASSOCIATON
IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PENSIONERS ORGANISATIONS BEING HELD AT BARCELONA,SPAIN ON 5-6
FEBRUARY,2014.
HE WILL START ON 3RD FEBRUARY AND IS SHEDULED TO RETURN NEW DELHI ON 8TH FEBRUARY.

BECAUSE OF THE ADAMENT AND RATHER NEGATIVE STAND OF THE INDIAN BANKS ASSOCIATION,EVIDENTLY DUE TO
THE UNWARRANTRD INTERVENTION OF THE UNION FINANCE MINISTER,THE TALKS HELD WITH
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF UNITED FORUM OF BANK UNIONS ON 27TH JANUARY HAS FAILED TO
REACH ANY AGREEMENT.
NOW THE UFBU HAS DECIDED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE TWO DAYS STRIKE ON FEBRUARY 10TH AND 11TH,2014.
THE BANK EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS ARE DEMANDING A MINIMUM 30 PER CENT HIKE IN THE PAY AND THE IBA
HAS OFFERED ONLY 10 PER CENT,A CLEAR PROVACATION INDEED.THE ANNUAL PROFIT OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR
BANKS IS REPORTED TO BE RS.1,21,000 CRORE AND THE FINANCE MINISTER IS OPPOSING A REASONABLE WAGE
HIKE NOT BASED ON ANY FINCIAL CRUNCH BUT DUE THE STRONG OPPOSITION BY THE BANK UNIONS AGAINST
IMPLEMENTATION OF FURTHER DRASTIC NEO LIBERAL BANK REFORMS,INCLUDING PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC
SECTOR BANKS.
THE BANK WORKERS HAD STRUCK WORK ON 18TH DECEMBER,2013 DEMANDING INCREASED WAGE OF 30-35 PER CENT
AND HAD DECIDED FOR A TWO DAYS STRIKE ON 20-21,JANUARY,2014.THIS WAS DEFERRED AFTER THE IBA OFFERED
A FRUITFUL CONCILIATION ON 27TH JANUARY WHICH HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A HOLLOW OF PROMISE.
AIBDPA STRONGLY CONDEMN THE NEGATIVE AND PROVOCATIVE STAND OF BOTH THE UNION GOVERNMENT AND IBA
AND AFFIRMS OUR FULL SOLIDARITY TO THE STRIKING BANK WORKERS.

THE EMPOWERED GROUP OF MINISTERS ON TELECOM HAS DECIDED TO LEVY FIVE PER CENT OF THE ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE
FOR USAGE CHARGE FOR THE NEW SPECTRUM ACQUIRED IN THE UPCOMING AUCTION BEGINNING ON 3RD FEBRUARY,2014.
HOWEVER THE EGoM HAS NOT PROPOSED ANY CHANGE IN THE SPECTRUM USAGE CHARGE BEING PAID BY BROADBAND WIRELESS
ACCESS (BWA) OPERATORS.SO ALSO FOR EARLIER ACQUIRED SPECTRUM,THE OPERATORS WILL CONTINUE TO PAY THE
WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF THEIR EXISTING SPECTRUM USAGE CHARGE (SUC).
UNDER THE CURRENT REGIME,SUC VARIES FROM 3 PER CENT TO 8 PER CENT AND THAT IS WHY THE COMMUNICATIONS
MINISTER KAPIL SIBAL STATED THAT THE NEW RATE OF SUC WOULD LOWER THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE BIG OPERATORS.
STILL,THE PRIVATE TELECOS ARE NOT SATISFIED AS THE EGoM HAS NOT FAVOURED UNIFORM SUC DESPITE RECOMMENDED
BY TRAI.

IN THE MEETING HELD ON 25TH JANUARY,THE TELECOM COMMISSION HAS RECOMMENDED TO THE
EMPOWERED GROUP OF MINISTERS (EGOM) THE FOLLOWING THREE OPTIONS FOR LEVYING SPECTRUM
USAGE CHARGES FROM THE PRIVATE TELCOM COMPANIES.
1.WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF THREE PER CENT FOR THE SPECTRUM WON IN THE UPCOMING AUCTION AND THE EXISTING
SLAB RATE.
2.WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF FIVE PER CENT FOR THE AIRWAVES TO BE AUCTIONED AND THE CURRENT SLAB
RATE.
3.TO CONTINUE WITH THE EXISTING REGIME.
EARLIER TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA HAS RECOMMENDED FOR A UNIFORM SPECTRUM USAGE CHARGE
(SUC) OF 3 TO 5 PER CENT FROM APRIL,2014.
THE EGOM IS SHEDULED TO MEET ON 27TH JANUARY AND TAKE FINAL DECISIONS ON ALL THESE ISSUES.

Court judgement on witholding of pension._3

Superannuation benefits of BSNL recruited employees

IT IS REPORTED IN THE PRESS THAT THE UNION CABINET HAS TAKEN DECISION TO ENHANCE THE
MINIMUM PENSION OF EPF PENSIONERS TO RS.1000/ WHICH IS A LONG STANDING DEMAND.THERE
ARE EPF PENSIONERS WHO DRAW ONLY RS.100 OR EVEN BELOW!
IT IS ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ELIGIBILITY CIELING ALSO ENHANCED TO RS.15000 FROM THE
PRESENT RS.6500.
EVENTHOUGH THE BELATED DECISION IS TAKEN IN THE WAKE OF THE ENSUING GENERAL ELECTIONS,
IT WILL GIVE SOME RELIEF TO THIS CATEGORY OF PENSIONERS.

CHQ IS RECIEVING NUMEROUS ENQUIRIES FROM ANXIOUS PENSIONERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
REGARDING 78.2% IDA MERGER TO THE PRE AND POST 2007 BSNL PENSIONERS.
WE ARE PURSUING THE CASE AT ALL LEVELS AND THE EXPENDITURE DEPARTMENT,WHEN CONTACTED
HAS STATED THAT THE ISSUE IS BEING CONSIDERED.
TODAY ALSO COM.K.G.JAYARAJ HAD A TALK WITH SHRI.PRACHISH KHANNA,DIRECTOR, (ESTABLISHMENT),
DOT IN THIS REGARD WHO TOLD THAT DOT HAS NOT RECIEVED BACK THE FILE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
EXPENDITURE.

IN THE SPECTRUM AUCTION SLATED TO BE STARTED ON 3RD FEBRUARY,2014,8 TELECOM FIRMS HAVE
SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE BIDDING.THESE COMPANIES VIZ VODAFONE INDIA,
BHARTI AIRTEL,IDEA CELLULAR,AIRCEL,TATA TELESERVICES,RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS,RELIANCE JIO
INFOCOMM AND TELEWING COMMUNICATIONS HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED THE BIDDER OWNERSHIP CERTIFICATE
TO DOT ON YESTERDAY,23RD JANUARY,2014.THE DOT WILL NOW ASSESS THE PRE-QUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS
0N 25TH JANUARY,WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE AUCTION ON 3RD FEBRUARY.
THE GOVERNMENT IS EXPECTING TO GARNER ABOUT RS.40000 CRORE FROM THE AUCTION OF 403 MHz OF 2G
SPECTRUM IN THE 1800 MHz BAND AND 45 MHz OF SPECTRUM IN THE 900 MHz BAND.
EARLIER THE TRAI HAD PROPOSED A DRASTIC REDUCTION OF ABOUT 60 PER CENT IN THE BASE PRICE OF SPECTRUM
AND THE CABINET APPROVED THE SAME WITH MINOR MODIFICATIONS MADE BY THE DOT.ACCORDINGLY,THE BASE PRICES
FIXED FOR THE PRESENT BIDDING IS RS.1765 CRORE PER MHz FOR 1800 MHz SPECTRUM AND FOR 900 MHz SPECTRUM,
RS.360 CRORE PER MHz FOR DELHI,RS.328 CRORE FOR MUMBAI AND RS.125 CRORE FOR KOLKATA.

AS EXPECTED THE PRIVATE TELECOM COMPANIES HAVE APPROACHED THE SUPREME COURT AGAINST THE
DELHI HIGH COURT ORDER ALLOWING COMTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL (CAG) TO AUDIT THE ACCOUNTS
OF THE PRIVATE TELECOM COMPANIES.
THE PRIVATE TELECOM COMPANIES WERE INDULGED IN CHEATING THE GOVERNMENT BY UNDERSTATING THEIR INCOME TO ESCAPE FROM
PAYING THE ACTUAL SPECTRUM USAGE CHARGES.