Through the notification number 396, called Regulation on Livestock Rules 2017, imposes a ban on sale of cattle for slaughter all across India. Cattle in this notification are defined as bulls, cows, bullocks, buffaloes, steers, heifers, calves and camels. In January this year, a bench headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had stayed the order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court which, through a judgement in 2016, had directed the central government to enact a national law against cow slaughter.The Supreme Court did not accept that the central government has the jurisdiction to do so. The case is still before the top court. Thus, the present notification by the central government circumvents the Supreme Court stay order. Instead of a national ban on cow slaughter, it imposes a national ban on the sale of all cattle for slaughter. This includes the six states where there is no law at present against cow slaughter. Thus, the notification is a direct encroachment on the rights of the States and on the federal structure of the constitution. Further, it will give unlimited powers to the ‘Gau Rakshaks’, who are involving in ‘man slaughter’, in the name of stopping ‘cow slaughter’, creating communal tensions. Hence, the government should withdraw this notification

(SOURCE: BSNLEU WEBSITE)

REIMBURSEMENT OF MEDICAL CLAIMS TO PENSIONERS UNDER CS (MA) RULES, 1944 AS DIRECTED BY VARIOUS CATS/COURTS – REGARDING.

No. 5.14025/23/2013-MS.EHSS

Government of India

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Department of Health and Family Welfare

Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi

Dated the 29 September, 2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub:-Reimbursement of medical claims to pensioners under CS (MA) Rules, 1944 as directed by various CATS/Courts – Regarding.

            The undersigned is directed to state that various references are being received in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the above mentioned subject. it is hereby clarified that CS (MA) Rules, 1944 are not applicable to pensioners till date.

2.         It is further informed that the following options to avail medical facilities are available to Central Government pensioners:

a)         Pensioners residing in CGHS covered areas:

1) They can get themselves registered in CGHS dispensary after making requisite contribution and can avail both OPD and IPD facilities.

2). Pensioners residing in CGHS areas cannot optout of CGHS and avail any other medical facility {i.e. Fixed Medical Allowance). Such pensioners, if they do not choose to avail CGHS facility by depositing the required contributions, cannot be granted Fixed Medical allowance in lieu of CGHS.

b) Pensioners residing in non -CGHS areas:

1). They can avail Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) @ Rs.500/- per month

2) They can also avail benefits of CGHS- [OPD and IPD] by registering themselves in the nearest CGHS “city after“making the required subscription.

3) They also have the option to avail FMA, for OPD treatment and CG HS for IPD treatments after making the required subscriptions as per CGHS guidelines.

3.         In view. of the above, reimbursement of medical claims to pensioners under CS (MA) Rules, 1944 as directed by various CATS/Courts, need not be referred to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The respective Administrative Department/Ministry may take their own decision in this regard.

4.         further, all Departments/Ministries are requested to intimate their employees proceeding for retirement regarding the above options for medical facilities available to the Central Government pensioners.

5. This issues with the approval of competent authority.

(SUNIL KUMAR GUPTA)

UNDER SECRETARY TO THE GOVT. OF INDIA

The Cuddalore District Conference was held on 23-05-2017 under the presidentship of Com. G.Govindarajalu, District President. Com.R.Ramamoorthy, CPI(M) leader inaugurated the conference. Coms.C.K.Narasimhan, Circle Secretary, P.Manickamoorthy, Circle President, P.Sivalingam,State Govt Pensioners Association, A.Annamalai (ACS,BSNLEU), K.T.Sampantham (District Secretary,BSNLEU) and Shri. V.Shanmugam (DE(M) ) addressed.

The report and accounts were presented by Com.S.Muthukumarasamy, District Secretary and Treasurer,respectively and were adopted after discussion.

Office beraers with Com.N.Meghanathan (President), Com.I.M.Mathiyazhagan (District Secretary) and Com.B.Chandrasekharan (Treasurer) were elected unanimously.

Mangalore District Branch’s 5th biennial conference has been held with enthusiasm on 27-05-2017 at Nasik-Bengera Hall, Mangalore. Com.V.C.Naik, District President controlled the proceedings. The conference was inaugurated by Cpm.G.G.Patil, Assistant General Secretary. Coms. Muddaiah, Circle Secretary, R.G.Bhandare, Circle President, Pasha and Krishna, BSNLEU District Secretary and President,respectively, B.P.Narayana and Harishchandra Rao addressed. The report and accounts presented by Coms. Gopal Naik, District Secretary and M.Sridhar, Treasurer were adopted after discussion.

Office bearers were elected with Com.V.C.Naik (President), Harishchandra Rao (District Secretary) and Com.Lousie Desouza (Treasurer)

CHQ is saddened to report the unexpected demise of Com.M.K.Parmar, District Secretary, Bharuch, Gujarat. He was unwell for a brief period and the end came on 25-05-2017.

Com.M.K.Parmar was a committed comrade and was in touch with the CHQ,even before the formation of Gujarat Circle Branch. He had organised a pensioners organisation of BSNL retirees at Bharuch and had no hesitation to merge it with AIBDPA. 

We pay our respectful homage to Com.M.K.Parmar and convey heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and comrades.

BHOPAL, MADHYA PRADESH- COM.H.S.THAKUR, CIRCLE SECRETARY INAUGURATING.

CHENNAI TELEPHONES CIRCLE.

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, TAMIL NADU.

THRISSUR, KERALA

COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU

KURNOOL DISTRICT BRANCH, ANDHRA CIRCLE.

NAGERCOIL, TAMIL NADU

PALANPUR DISTRICT, GUJARAT

VALSAD DISTRICT, GUJARAT

VISAKHAPATNAM, ANDHRA CIRCLE.

PATNA, BIHAR CIRCLE.

No.1(13)/EV/2017
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

New Delhi, the 23rd May, 2017

Office Memorandum

Subject: Procedural actions for revision of pension of pre-1.1.2016 retirees of Central Government in pursuance of the OM of Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare dated 12.5.2017[ Click here to See : DoPPW Order dated 12.5.2017] – Regarding.

The Ministries/Departments of the Central Government are aware of the orders issued by Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW) contained in their OM No. 38/37/2016-P&PW(A) dated 12.5.2017 regarding revision of pension of pre-1.1.2016 retirees. In terms of para 4 thereof, the revised pension/family pension w.e.f. 1.1.2016 in respect of all Central civil pensioners/family pensioners, including CAPF’s who retired/died prior to 1.1.2016 may be revised by notionally fixing their pay in the pay matrix recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission in the level corresponding to the pay in the pay scale/pay band and grade pay at which they retired/died. The said OM further provides that this will be done by notional pay fixation under each intervening Pay Commission based on the formula for revision of pay. 50% of the notional pay as on 1.1.2016 shall be the revised pension and 30% of this notional pay shall be the revised family pension w.e.f. 1.1.2016.

2. The Ministries/Departments are aware that actual implementation of the aforesaid order contained in the OM dated 12.5.2017 of the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare involves a procedure for revision of pension of such pensioners, which covers a number of agencies like the Heads of Departments/Heads of Offices, under whose administrative control a particular pensioner had worked before retirement/death, the concerned PAOs, pension accounting organizations like CPAO in case of civil pensioners and similar pension accounting organizations pertaining to pensioners in Ministries of Railways, Defence and Department of Posts, etc. Therefore, a coordinated action amongst these agencies is required to ensure that revision of pension in such cases is processed expeditiously.

3. Accordingly, while the substantive matter pertaining to revision of pension of pre-1.1.2016 Central Government retirees concerns Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare as already provided in their aforesaid OM dated 12.5.2017 and any further substantive order thereon issued by them, there are certain procedural actions which need to be taken by the concerned administrative agencies in each Ministry/Department as well as the pension accounting organisations like the Central Pension Accounting Office under the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure; Controller General of Defence Accounts under the Ministry of Defence and similar pension accounting organisations under the Ministry of Railways and Department of Posts etc so that appropriate implementation of the orders of Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare as per their OM dated 12.5.2017 is carried out expeditiously.

4. In order, therefore, to put the procedural issues in this regard in perspective and to provide for coordinated action amongst the concerned agencies, the following procedural points of action are to be taken by the concerned agencies as brought out below:

(A) Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance

(i) The fitment tables for fixation of notional pay will be worked out by the Department of Expenditure and provided to Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare for appropriate guidelines for the purpose of issue of any further substantive order in the matter.

(B) Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare

(i) The appropriate guidelines/ instructions for revision of pension based on fitment tables for notional pay will be issued for use by the pension revising administrative authorities, PAOs and pension accounting organisations in the Central Government.

(C) Pension Accounting Authorities

(i) The Central Pension Accounting Office in case of civil pensioners and similar pension accounting offices in the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts etc., shall pass on the available and relevant data of live pensioners to the concerned PAOs by 31.05.2017, if such data is already available with them. This action will be completed within two weeks. In cases where the data is not available, the same will be obtained by the pension accounting offices from the disbursing banks and shall be passed on to the concerned PAOs. This action will be taken up simultaneously and completed within four weeks.

(ii) The pension accounting offices, while passing on the data to the concerned PAOs, may also devise a suitable mechanism for electronic revision, as far as possible, to enable PAOs to process the cases of pension revision expeditiously.

(iii) The central pension accounting offices like the CPAO, at the time of passing on the data to the concerned PAOs, shall send a few illustrative examples on pension revision in such cases to the pension disbursing Banks to enable them to consider suitable changes in the software, if necessary, for the purpose.

(D) Pay & Account Office (PAO)/Head of the Department

(i) The concerned PAOs, on receiving data from the pension accounting organizations, shall immediately, and not later than 3 days from the receipt of data, pass on the data to the concerned administration/establishment Branches/Heads of the Office (HOO)s under various Heads of Department (HODs) of the Ministries/Departments. The HOOs will also check their records to ascertain the actual numbers of retirees.

(ii) The concerned administration/establishment branches/Heads of Offices (HOO) under various Heads of Departments (HODs) of the Ministries/Departments shall take action to revise the pension in case of retirees who had worked under their administrative control, based on the orders issued by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare dated 12.5.2017 and any further order containing the fitment table providing for notional pay, after due verification of the relevant records.

(iii) In cases where records are readily available with the HoD/DDO, the action to process revision of pension shall be initiated forthwith and not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of the list of pensioners by the PAOs from the CPAO. In such cases, revised pension cases will be sent to the PAOs for further necessary action by the concerned administrative Branches/HOOs, which normally process the pension cases in case of employees under their administrative domain on their retirement/death.

(iv) In cases where records are not readily available, the concerned HOOs/HODs will ensure appropriate action for verification of such cases and ensure expeditious revision of pension as per the prescribed procedure and passing on the same to PAOs for further necessary action.

(v) On receipt of revised pension cases from the administrative/establishment branches, the PAOs shall take further appropriate action expeditiously and pass on the duly verified pension revision authorities to the pension accounting offices like the CPAO, which will in turn take further action to issue necessary instructions/authority to the disbursing Banks without delay.

(vi) Once the revised pension authority is received by the Banks, they will ensure timely payment of revised pension and arrears, if any, to the accounts of pensioners.

5. In order to ensure effective monitoring of the progress of pension revision based on the procedure outlined above, a monitoring mechanism will also be followed as brought out below:

(i) DOP&PW will periodically monitor the Ministry-wise progress of pension revision. For this purpose, Ministry-wise details would be made available by the respective pension accounting organisations, viz, CPAO, CGDA, etc, to the Department of P&PW.

(ii) The progress of pension revision at the HOD/HOO level will be monitored by the concerned JS(Admn) of the Ministry/Department on a weekly basis. This will be included as one agenda in the Senior Officers Meetings (SOM) in each Ministry/Department.

(iii) CPAO and similar pension accounting organisations shall place online a dashboard of the progress of revision of pension cases with PAOs, CCAs, nodal authorities of Ministries/Departments and Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare.

(iv) In order to ensure timely action on the part of Chief Controller of Accounts/Controller of Accounts/PAOs and Pension Accounting Organisations, a weekly progress meeting shall be held at the level of Chief Controller of Pension and this shall be monitored on monthly basis by Controller General of Accounts, CGDA and similar levels in the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts, etc.

sd/-
(Amar Nath Singh)
Director