Com.P Karunakaran, former MP and Chairman, NFPE Kerala inaugurated the Kannur SSA biennial conference at Neeleswaram on 22-12-2023. In the inaugural address, Com. P Karunakaran severely criticised Modi government for its anti-people and anti-worker policies and attacks let loose by the sangh parivars on minority communities and dalits. Com.K Santhakumar, SSA President was in chair. Com.V A N Namboodiri released the book, ” Sivayogi” written by Com.M S Nair. Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary delivered the keynote address and explained the issues of medical benefits and pension revision. Leaders of the sister organisations greeted the conference.
In the subject session, Com.Com.K Mohanan, District Secretary and Com.N P Giridharan , Treasurer presented the biennial report and audited accounts respectively. Com.N Guruprasad, Circle Secretary spoke on organisational issues. A number of comrades participated actively in the discussion on organisational issues. Both the Circle Secretary and District Secretary replied to the points raised. A new set of office bearers with Com.K Santhakumar (President) Com.K Mohanan (District Secretary) and Com.N P Giridharan (Treasurer) were elected unanimously.
The 6th biennial district conference of Karwar was held on 21-12-2023 at Kumta. Com. C E Gungai, District President controlled the proceedings. Com.Muddiah, Circle Secretary inaugurated the conference with a detailed speech on all the important issues. Coms.H C Prakash, AGS, Earanna, CHQ Organsing Secretary, R B Tatapati, Circle President and Com.B P Narayan, CIrcle Vice President addressed the conference. A pensioners directory was released by the Chief Guest, Shri.Shanbagh, Administrator, English School, Kumta.
Following are the important functionaries elected unanimously by the conference; Com. C E Gungai (President) Com. C R Kalmane (District Secretary) and Com.N D Patil (Treasurer)
The District Conference of Erode was held on 17-12-2023 . The open session was inaugurated by Com.R Rajasekar , Circle Secretary and presided over by Com. Manickam, District President. Com.Chinnasamy, District Secretary welcomed one and all. Com. Elangovan, President, DRPU delivered the keynote address. Shri. Sam Gunalan, PGM and Com.N Kuppusamy, Circle Vice President also addressed. Leaders of the sister associations greeted the conference. Those who crossed 75 were honoured in the conference.
Com.V Venkataraman, CHQ Organising Secretary inaugurated the delegates session. The biennial report and audited accounts were presented by the District Secretary and Treasurer, respectively and adopted after discussion. Finally Com.R Rajasekar , Circle Secretary addressed and explaind all the issues in detail. Office bearers were elected unanimously with Com. P Chinnasamy (President) Com.N Kuppusamy (District Secretary) and Com. V Maniyan (Treasurer). 220 comrades participated with good number of women delegates.
The 7th biennial district conference of Kollam was held befittingly with good participation at Com.R Aravindakshan Nair Nagar (Saraswathy hall), Kollam on 18-12-2023. Com.K Mohanan Pillai, District President controlled the proceedings. Com.K Sukumaran Nair, District Secretary welcomed the gathering. Inaugurating the conference, Com,K G Jayaraj, General Secretary explained the issues in detail. Com.N Guruprasad, Circle Secretary delivered the keynote address. Coms. T P Radhakrishna Kumar (CGPA), A Muraleedharan Nair (AIPRPA), R Mahesan (BSNLEU), M D Rajan, Circle Org Secretary greeted the conference. Com.N Pushpavally, Convenor, Womens Committee proposed vote of thanks. In the subject session, Com.K Sukumaran Nair and Com.Murali Mohan Das presented the report and accounts, respectively. 15 comrades actively participated in the discussion. Office bearers were elected unanimously with Com.K Mohanan Pillai (President) K Sukumaran Nair (District Secretary) and Com. Murali Mohan Das (Treasurer)
Mysuru District Conference has been held successfully on 17-12-2023. Com.C Gopalakrishnan, District President presided. Com.Basavaraju, District Secretary welcomed and presented the report. Com.Muddiah, Circle Secretary inaugurated the conference with a detailed speech explaininig the current status of pension revision, medical benefits, CGHS issues and implementation of Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations etc. Coms. H C Prakash, AGS, Earanna, CHQ Organising Secreatry , R B Tatapati, Circle President and C G Annegiri also addressed. Com.C Gopalakrishnan (President) Com.Basavaraju (District Secretary) and Com.N Subramanya (Treasurer) were elected unanimously for the next term.
Com. V A N Namboodiri, veteran leader and Patron inaugurated the newly ercected Flag Mast of AIBDPA at Flower Bazar Telephone Exchange Chennai at 09AM on 14-12-2023 by Chennai Telephones Circle. The Flag was hoisted by Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary and Com.Pankajam Namboodiri hoisted the BSNLEU flag at the adjacent flag mast.Com.K Govindaraj, Circle Secretary welcomed all. Coms.S Mohandoss, CHQ Vice President, Sreedhar Subramoniam, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU, R Rajasekar, Circle Secretary, and C K Narasimhan ,Tamil Nadu Circle Secretary and President participated.
The 5th All India Conference of NCCPA was held at Com.KKN Kutty Manch, Chennai on 13-14, December, 2023. The inaugural session started with the welcome address by Com.P Mohan, General Secretary, Reception Committee, and the Chairman’s address by Com.C K Narasimhan, Working Chairman.Com.Shiva Gopal Mishra, President presided over. Com.Swadesh Deb Roye, Deputy General Secretary, WFTU inaugurated the conference with an educative speech. He came down heavily on the Modi government for handing over the PSUs and national assets to the corporates. No labour conference has been held since 2015 and the attacks on the rights of workers and pensioners has increased and the appointment of a committee for improvements in NPS is nothing but an eye wash.He exhorted for further joint struggles by all sections of workers , peasants and pensioners. Coms. C Srikumar, Deputy General Secretary, WFTU, V A N Namboodiri, Patron, Janardhan Mazumdar, Secretary General, NFPE, C K Gundanna, AGS, BSNLEU, N L Sridharan,General Secretary ,AISGPF, S Sridhar,President,AIRRF, K G Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA and K Ragavendran, Secretary General, NCCPA addressed the inaugural session.
Com.S K Sharma, Working President presided in the subject session. Com.K Ragavendran, Secretary General presented the work report and the audited accounts were submitted by the Asst Treasurer,Com.Sadan Banerjee. In the discussion that followed 46 comrades, representing various affiliates enthusiastically participated and raised several issues. Out of the 34 delegates participated from AIBDPA, 4 comrades ,M R Das, President, N Guruprasad, Circle Secretary, Kerala, R Rajasekar, Circle Secretary, Tamil Nadu and Sanjib Banerjee, Circle Secretary, Kolkata Telephones took part in the discussion. The main issues raised by them are BSNL pension Revision, CGHS issues, Attacks on PSUs, wages, pension, appeasement of corporates and threats on secularism and communal harmony. Thereafter the report, audited accounts and the amendments to the constitution were adopted . Resolutions on all the issues, including restoration of OPS, Pension revsion of BSNL/MTNL retirees, Pension udation of bank retirees, implementation of Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations, CGHS issues, Restoration of commutation after 12 years, appointment 8th CPC were adopted.
The conference elected the following office bearers unanimously.
Patrons: (1) Com.V A N Namboodiri (AIBDPA) (2) Com.Pabithra Chakraborty (3) Com.C L Mathur (4) Com. R P Sharama (5) Com.H N Joshi.
President; Com.Shiva Gopal Mishra.
Working Presidents: Com. S K Sharma (2) Ashok Kanti Ghosh.
Vice Presidents : Com. S Rahman (2) Com.M L Gupta (3) Com.T S Parameswaran (4) Com.D K Dhandre (5) Com.Basudeb Sengupta(6) Com.K B Krishna Rao (6) Com.R Elangovan
Secretary General : Com.K Ragavendran.
Deputy Secretary General : (1) Com.K G Jayaraj (AIBDPA) (2) Com.D K Debnath (3) Com.Basawanand (4) Com.P Lahiri
Assistant Secretary General: (1) Com.M R Das (AIBDPA) (2)Com. S Mohandoss( AIBDPA) (3) Jagmohan Thakur (4) T N Venkateswaran (5) C P Sobhana (6) Radhakrishna (6) Ishwar Singh Dabas (7)P Krishnamurthy.
The extended Circle Executive Committee meeting of Assam was held at Tezpur on 8-9, December, 2023. A presidium of Coms.K C Medhi, Sankar Das, D C Paul and A H Laskar controlled the proceedings.Homage was paid to Com.P C Das, Circle President and others passed away during the period. Com.S N Sarma, Circle Secretary welcomed all and presented the report and Com. P C Dawka the accounts.
Com.M R Das, CHQ President inaugurated the meeting and gave a good account of the developments in respect of the important issues, particularly pension revision. He explained the PBCAT judgment , its impacts and the dcisions of Pune CEC meeting held on 19-20 , November, 2023. 26 comrades including Circle Office bearers and district Secretaries participated in the discussion that followed.Summing up the discussion, Com.S N Sarma effectively replied to all the queries raised. Com.D N Bhishma was nominated as President in place of Com.P C Das. The extended CEC came to an end with the vote of thanks by Com.Dulal Nath on behalf of the Reception Committee.
It was on 17th December, 1982 that the Supreme Court delivered the historic judgment in D S Nakara case. The landmark judgment is considered as the Magna Carta of the pensioners. The Constitution bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Y V Chandrachud declared that
(i) ” Pension is neither a bounty nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of the employer
(ii) Pension is not an ex gratia payment of past service rendered and
(iii) It is a social welfare measure rendering socioeconomic justice to those who in their heyday of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age they would not be left in lurch. “
So the pensioners in India started celebrating the day of 17th December every year as National Pensioners Day as a mark of their appreciation to the milestone judgment and to remember late Shri D S Nakara.
This time, when we celebrate the National Pensioners Day, the pensioners in the country are facing many challenges threatening the very relevance of the Supreme Court judgment. So let us observe the day jointly with other pensioners organisations and deliberate the issues with the seriousness it deserve so that the pensioners are made prepared for the militant struggle in the days to come.
