The Prime Minister, in his announcement on 14-04-2020 has mentioned about the importance of taking care of the senior citizens. But no specific mention has been made about what relief is being given to them.

In this connection AIBDPA requests the Prime Minister that he may direct the DoT to ensure that the pension revision for BSNL retirees w.e.f. 01-01-2017 is ordered and paid so that the pensioners will get some relief in the COVID-19 period.

15025/17/2020/ DIR/CGHS/
Govt. of India
Min. of Health & Family Welfare
Directorate General of CGHS
545-A Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.
Dated the 1st April, 2020

OFFICE ORDER

Subject: Extension of Validity of CGHS Card in view of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) Infection.

In view of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) , all out efforts are made by the Government to contain its impact by instituting measures at community as well as at individual level. Guidelines for maintaining social distancing between individuals have already been issued by the Government.

In the spirit of above guidelines, the undersigned is directed to convey that the validity of CGHS Cards expiring on 31st March 2020 may be extended in respect of CGHS pensioner beneficiaries contributing on annual basis and Central Government serving employees superannuating on 31.03.2020 , as per the details given under:

(i) In case of CGHS pensioner beneficiaries, who contribute the subscription on annual basis and whose CGHS cards are valid till 31st March 2020, the validity period may be extended till 30th April 2020 in the Data Base, by Additional Directors City/ HQ (in Delhi) on the basis of request received over e-mail from such A paper print-out may be signed and scanned copy of the same shall be sent to the beneficiary by e-mail , with a direction to submit the relevant documents and subscription before 30th April 2020.

(ii) Similarly, if a request is received by e-mail from serving employees , who superannuated on 31.03.2020 and are not in receipt of PPO, the CGHS Card may be converted as pensioner CGHS Card and validity period extended to 30th April A paper print-out may be signed and scanned copy of the same shall be sent to the beneficiary by e-mail with a direction to submit the relevant documents and subscription before 30th April 2020 . Additional Director City/ HQ (in Delhi) will verify the date of superannuation from CGHS database before processing the request. If a Govt Servant superannuating on 31 .03.20 was not a member of CGHS during service then he will have to submit a proof of superannuation.

(iii) The period of extension will be included when the card validity is regularised on depositing the subscription.

With deep sorrow it is intimated that Com.B.Narayana Rao, senior leader BSNLEU, AIBDPA and cultural activist passed away at Mangaluru 0m 6^th April 2020 at about 12.00 hours. He was 80.

He was appointed at Telephone Exchnge at Kanhangad in Kerala in the 1960s and later got transferred to Mangaluru. He was a dedicated and sincere leader. He took initiative in holding the first BSNLEU Karnataka Conference at Mangaluru. He also took important role in starting AIBDPA. Even he was not well he used to attend the meetings of the union/ association. He participated in all the strikes and struggles and was victimised.

His death is a great loss to AIBDPA. AIBDPA conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and comrades.

<<View DPE order>>

Casual Contract Labour issue raised in Parliament by Com.K.K.Ragesh, M.P. (Kerala) on 29-11-2019 supported by many other M.P.s

NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES TO CASUAL CONTRACT LABOURERS OF B.S.N.L.,

KERALA SHRI K.K. RAGESH (KERALA): Hon. Chairman, Sir, the casual contract labourers of BSNL have not been paid wages for the last ten months. Last month, in Kerala, two workers committed suicide due to non-payment of wages. One Ramakrishnan, an employee working as a sweeper in BSNL, after completing all his work, committed suicide inside the office as he had not been paid wages for the last ten months by BSNL. Not just in Kerala, but throughout the country, casual contract labourers in BSNL have committed suicide. Ten such workers have already committed suicide in our country. I would request the Government to listen to the agony of casual contract labourers, because yesterday the hon. Minister while responding to the issue said that it was due to the contractors. In fact, BSNL did not pay the contractors and that is why contractors were not in a position to pay the workers. Apart from non-payment of wages to the workers, massive retrenchment is also going on. The Government had decided to reduce 80 per cent of the regular workers and also 50 per cent of the contract workers. That means, regular workers are compelled to take VRS and one lakh jobs have already been lost. Fifty per cent of the contract labourers have been asked not to work. Then, who would work, Sir?

MR. CHAIRMAN: What is your suggestion?

SHRI K.K. RAGESH: I don’t know if BSNL is going to be wound up. My point is that since the inception of BSNL, thousands of contract workers have been working on meagre wages. We don’t know what would be the future of those poor workers. I would request the Government to intervene immediately and ensure payment of wages to the BSNL workers, which is due for the last ten months. Otherwise, we would be witnessing mass suicides among the poor casual contract workers.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Let us not hope such a thing happens.

SHRI T.K. RANGARAJAN (TAMIL NADU): Sir, I associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI TIRUCHI SIVA (TAMIL NADU): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member
SHRI B.K. HARIPRASAD (KARNATAKA): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI JOSE K. MANI (KERALA): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
PROF. MANOJ KUMAR JHA (BIHAR): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI SUBHASISH CHAKRABORTY (WEST BENGAL): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRIMATI VIJILA SATHYANANTH (TAMIL NADU): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI BINOY VISWAM (KERALA): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI AHAMED HASSAN (WEST BENGAL): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI ELAMARAM KAREEM (KERALA): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member.
SHRI K. SOMAPRASAD (KERALA): Sir, I too associate myself with the matter raised by the hon. Member. (End)

Com. Elamaram Kareem. M.P. (Kerala) raised the issue of BSNL Revival and contract workers in Rajya Sabha on 01-07-2019. Report is given below:

SHRI ELAMARAM KAREEM: The financial condition of BSNL is precarious and it is deteriorating day-by-day. Presently, the per month revenue collection of BSNL comes to only 1,200 crores. However, the per month wage bill of the employees comes to Rs. 1,300 crores and other expenditures come to Rs. 900 crore. Thus, every month BSNL is facing a deficit of Rs.1,000 crore.

Due to this, BSNL is not even able to pay its electricity bills. In all the circles, gradually the electricity connections of BSNL are getting disconnected, due to non-payment of bills. Similarly, BSNL has not paid wages to its contract workers, for the past six months and the families of these workers are facing starvation. Contractors have also stopped the works and vendors do not want to supply equipments, due to non-payment of bills.

Thus, BSNL is urgently in need of both short term as well as long term capital infusion by the Government. That is my submission. The submission was supported by Com. K.K.Ragesh, M.P., Binoy Viswam M.P. and Jose K. Mani, all from Kerala.

DONATE LIBERALLY TO BSNL CONTRACT WORKERS RELIEF FUND

Dear Comrades,

As you are well aware, BSNL contract workers have not been paid wages for the last one year or more, on the plea that BSNL is in loss and is not in a position to pay the wages. Many contract workers have been retrenched. 

BSNLCCWF has been on continuous struggles all over India demanding wages and against retrenchment.  AIBDPA has been supporting the struggle, by participating in the agitational  programmes as also raising funds for the contract workers. In Kerala Circle, funds were collected by AIBDPA especially at the time of Onam festival and handed over to the contract workers.  Strike for many weeks was organized in the Kerala Circle and similar agitations organized in T.Nadu, W.Bengal, Karnataka, U.P. etc. Dharna continued for many months in various circles.

M.P.s were met and the issue was raised in the Parliament by a large number of M.P.s including S/Shri K.K.Ragesh . Elamaram Kareem, Jose K.Mani, Binoy Viswam, K.Soma Prasad ( Kerala), T.K.Rengarajan, Tiruchi Siva, Smt. Vijila Sathyanath (T.Nadu), B.K.Hari Prasad (Karnataka), Manoj Kumar Jha (Bihar), Subhas Chakraborty, Ahamad Hassan (W.Bengal) and others. But the government /DOT/ BSNL did not settle the issue.

Ten contract workers committed suicide during the period unable to bear the mental agony of being unable to look after their family, including children. Even these tragedies could not move the DOT/BSNL.

Most of these contract workers continue to work, serving the nation and people, despite denial of wage. For keeping the communication network in this Corona situation, they are doing their maximum effort.

They require all our support.  AIBDPA has supported BSNLCCWF agitations and donated earlier. Now also the contract workers have to be supported in their continued difficulties.

Hence we call upon all AIBDPA members to support the cause of the BSNL contract workers and donate liberally to the Contract Workers Relief Fund. The collected amount at Circle / District levels be handed over to the units of the BSNLCCWF at the respective levels with intimation to the CHQ. This is our responsibility to the suffering contract workers, who are part of the BSNL fraternity.

Yours Fraternally,

K.G.Jayaraj,                                                                            New Delhi, 2^nd April 2020

General Secretary, AIBDPA