The CEC meeting of All India BSNL DOT Pensioners Association was held online on 05-03-2022. Com. Ananta Kr Bhattacharjee, President presided over the meeting. The meeting paid homages to the martyrs and condoled the deaths of our own comrades and other prominent persons of various spheres. Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary welcomed all and presented the report of the intervening period and unaudited accounts for the year 2020-21. Com. V A N Namboodiri, veteran leader and our Advisor inaugurated the meeting and explained the current developments in respect of important issues like pension revision, medical benefits etc. Com. P V Chandrasekharn, Patron also addressed and empathised to strengthen the organisation.30 comrades participated and all of them presented their views and suggestions. General Secretary replied to the points raised by the circle Secretaries and CHQ office bearers.

The Central Executive Committee took the following decisions.

I. To launch another programme of agitaion on the following issues identified by the CEC. (a) Pension Revision with 15% fitment from 01-01-2017, delinking wage revision. (b) Implementation of Parliamentary Committee recommendation to grant Additional Pension on attainment of 65 years-5%, 70-10% , 75- 15%. (c) Immediately clear all medical bills of BSNL pensioners including medical allowance, pending for the last three/ four years. (d) Immediately pay the frozen IDA arrears implementing the Interim Otder of Kerala High Court. (e)Implement the Parliamentary Committee recommendations on medical facilities to pensioners; (i) Issue orders implementing Supreme Court judgment on reimbursement of medical bills for treatment in non-empanelled hospitals. (ii) Increase the Fixed Monthly Medical Allowance (FMA) to Rs.3000 from Rs.1000.(iii) Open CGHS Wellness centres in all the district head quarters. (iv) Periodical revision of CGHS rates reasonably. (e) Settle the issue of arbitrary cut in LPD by CCAs in violation of standing rules/instructions. (f) Immediate payment of pension and retirement benefits to VRS retirees of Maharashtra belonging to ST category as per OM issued by DOP&PW. The form of agitation and the dates will be decided by CHQ in due course.

II. The CEC called upon all the units to organise the Black Badged Demonstration and submission of memorandum to CGMs and GMs on 10-03-2022 demanding the 4 imporatnt issues, called by the Co-ordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA & BSNLCCWF.

III. Organise Solidarity Dharna at all levels on 25-03-2022 in support of the two days National Strike called by the Central Trade Unions and Independent Federations on 28-29, March, 2022.

IV. The CEC unanimously asked Tamil Nadu Circle to host the next All India Conferece in September/ October, 2022. All the Circle Conferences are to be held before the AIC.

V. CEC authorised CHQ to host the Asia Regional Conference of TUI(P&R) jointly with other affiliates of NCCPA at Thiruvananthapuram.

CHQ has been continuing the efforts for payment of frozen IDA instalments due on 01-10-2020,01-01-2021 and 01-04-2021 since 22-11-2020. AIBDPA has rightly taken a stand that the DPE orders dated 19-11-2020, freezing the IDA instalments was applicable only to Executives and Non-Unionised Supervisors of CPSEs. We took up the issue by writing a letter on 22-11-2020 to the Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enter prises with copy to Secretary,DPE and Secretary,DoT. When there was no reponse even after reminders, we sought the help of Com.P R Natarajan MP from Coimbatore who always extends a helping hand. Com.P R Natarajan also wrote to the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises for his intervention . The Minister replied fully vindicating our stand clarifying that the OM of DPE dated 19-11-2020 in not applicable to workmen and pensioners of CPSEs. DPE also issued a clarification on similar lines and forwarded our letter to Secretary, DoT for further necessary action. However, DoT did not respond which warranted us to file a writ petition in the hon’ble High Court of Kerala and the court issued a favourable Interim Order on the seme date. But the DoT is still unmoved and therefore we brought it to the notice of Com.P R Natarajan MP and he has promptly written to the hon’ble Minister of Communications for early settlement by implementing the court order and the clarifications issued by the concerned minister and DPE. We express our sincere gratitude to Com.P R Natarajan MP for his kind gesture.

The deffered programme of Black Badged Demonstration which was originally scheduled to be held on 25-01-2022 is now decided to hold on 10-03-2022 in view of the improved covid pandemic situation in the country. Our comrades are requested to make necessary arrangements in consultation with the respective units of BSNLEU AND BSNL CCWF, to ensure that the agitation on the burning issues is made a grand success at all levels. The copy of the notice served to CMD, BSNL in this regard is furnished below;

A new District Branch has been formed in West Bengal Circle delinking CTO, TCO and Civil Wing branches from Kolkata Telecom District Branch. The meeting held for this purpose at the CTO Union Hall was inaugurated by Com.Animesh Mitra.A presidium consisting of Coms.Biswajit Chakraborty, Banani Chattopadyay and Jhumur Bandopadhyay controlled the proceedings. 17 member office bearers were elected unanimously with Com.Biswajit Chakraborty (President) Naresh Nauroj (District Secretary) and Govinda Das (Treasurer).

The District Conference of Balasore, Odisha was held on 26-02-2022 under the presidentship of Com. Gadadhar Panda, District President. Com. A Dhupal CHQ Vice President inaugurated the conference with detailed speech covering the issues and functioning of AIBDPA. Com. Purushotham Pradhan, District Secretary welcomed all and presented the report and accounts. Com. P K Nayak, District Secretary, BSNLEU, Shri. P K Mohapatra, ITS, General Manager, BSNL and Shri.K C Behera, AGM (HR) also addressed the conference. Coms. Gadadhar Panda, Purushotham Pradhan and Shridhar Das were elected unanimously as President, District Secreatry and Treasurer, respectively.

Com.Ananta Kumar Bhattacharjee, veteran leader and CHQ President inaugurated the 4th Circle Conference of Kolkata Telephones held at Vivekananda Auditorium, Moulai on 25-02-2022. Com.Dispita Dhar was the Chief Guest and delivered the keynote address. Another veteran leader and Circle President Com. Supriya Mitra controlled the proceedings. A host of leaders including Coms. Animesh Mitra, President, BSNLEU & SG, BSNL CCWF, D Basu, AGS, Sisir Roy, Convenor, COC, Kanchan Mukherjee, Sibnath Sinha, Sukanti Mukherjee, Gobinda Das addressed the inaugural session.

In the subject session, Com. Sanjib Banerjee, Circle Secretary presented the report on activities and Com P M Das, Circle Treasurer submitted the audited accounts which were adopted after discussion. Com.Swastika Dasgupta presented the credential report. Thereafter, office bearers were elected unanimously with Com.Supriya Mitra (President) Com. Sanjib Banerjee (Circle Secretary) and Com. P M Das (Treasurer)

NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE

OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS..

(Registered undder the T.U. Act.No. RTU01/2021.Dated.7.01.2021)

PAN NO AAEAN8586F

Website: nccpahq.blogspot.in.E mail: nccpahq@gmail.com.

13.c Feroze Shah Road, New Delhi. 110 001

PRESIDENT:                COM.SHIV GOPAL MISHRA.(97176 47594)

SECRETARY GENERAL:          COM.K.K.N.KUTTY. (98110 48303)

Dated:22^ND February, 2022.

Dear Comrades,

In order to strengthen the campaign programme for the preparation of the ensuing general strike slated for 28^th and 29^th March, 2022, the Confederation of Central Government employees and workers met in their National Sectt. meeting on 20^th inst.  The meeting inter alia decided to mount campaign both physically and on virtual platform and associate with the affiliates and units of NCCPA. Comrades, you will recall that in our last National Sectt meeting one of the decisions we had taken was to organise a National Webinar on the strike issues. The Confederation has similar decision and they will fix the date convenient to all of us.  The webinar will present three issues before the participants:

1.       General demands and issues of the workers; and the reason as to why the strike had to be deferred to 28^th and 29^th March, 2022.

2.       The Central Government Employees Demands;

3.       The New Pension scheme and the issues and demands of the Pensioners as formulated by the NCCPA

On hearing from the Confederation about the arrangements made to broadcast the webinar, we shall get in touch with experts as to how to simultaneously reach out to our members.  It is decided, that while participation of minimum 5000 employees and 1000 pensioners must be ensured by the respective organisations,  they must embark upon a venture to exceed the minimum.  In the annexure to this letter we have made an allocation state-wise.  The affiliates will get in touch with their state units and request that the members are linked in to the webinar.  The COCs and CGPAs will also take care to ensure that as many number of pensioners participate in this webinar. 28^th and 29^th are Monday and Tuesday.  As per our earlier decision, we must organise a dharma programme prior to the strike.  Since the preceding two days are holidays, the proposed dharna must be organised on 25^th March, 2022. (Friday). In between the National webinar, the affiliates and State Units might organise webinars especially using the vernacular medium to convey the strike message to as many number of members as possible.  The Pensioners organisations representing the Bank retirees will organise the dharna in front of any bank as they decide.  They might also get in touch with the Bank employees Associations and extend solidarity and support to the strike action.  Similarly, the pensioners of the autonomous bodies may either choose to be with the CG pensioners or organise dharna in front of any of the autonomous organisation of the Govt. of India. So may be the case with the members of AIBDPA

We are hopeful that our members will remember the endeavour chalked out by the TUI (P &R) of the WFTU of the need to align our activities with the working class.  In India, as you are aware, the joint platform of Central Trade Unions barring the BJP led BMS is spearheading the struggle against the neo- liberal policies, the intensification of which peaked during the present regime.  Not only the standard of living of the working class has fallen considerably, the entirety of the common people suffers from its pernicious impact.  The Oxfam report (India supplement), which was released recently tells the sordid story of the Indian people that has come about in the last 6-7 years.  The number of people who were driven to below the poverty line, (despite the engineering done by the Government in computing the poverty) had been huge.  The Corporates had been the biggest beneficiaries of the dispensation of this Government.  Not only they received tax concessions, they could also enjoy the largest chunk of bail out packages doled out by the Government to combat the covid related recession.  Nothing was done to increase the purchasing power of the common people, which was the most important intervention expected of from a government, who is concerned of the misery of the people in pandemic period.  The denial of dearness relief to the Pensioners for 18 months is a fitting example as to how the policy perceptions of the Government works even on retired personnel.  The pensioners and retirees suffered most during the covid period due to their propensity to be affected by the virus infection; but nothing was done to help them out.  But for the intervention of the people and courts in the country, the vaccination would have also been a marketing commodity available only for those who can afford.  In a democracy public opinion matters and galvanising that in the right direction is the responsibility of the middle class who are benefited by the education they have received.  Apart from this, our country is fast emerging as one of the most intolerant society in the world The way in which the government abets, engineers and helps those who indulge in disruption of the social fabric is unprecedented.  Since such actions in the past have given them rich electoral dividends, they continue with it merrily at the cost of the working people.  In the situation in which we are placed, the need for an intensive and effective campaign need not be emphasised.  I, therefore, appeal to all of you to do everything possible to campaign amongst the people, make the workers and retirees realise the need for struggle and make the general strike action slated for 28^th and 29^th March a grand success. 

In a few days time, we will prepare a pamphlet explaining the demands, we have agreed upon in our last meeting. 

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

KKN Kutty

Secretary General

Annexure : Allocation amongst state for participation in the National webinar.

Kerala.                                             100                      MP                      40

Tamilnadu                                      100                      Jharkhand              10                       

Karnataka                                       50                        Chattisgarh        10

AP &Telengana                .             50                        Vidharba              20

Maharashtra.                                 50                        Pune                   10

Gujarat                              …           25

Punjab.                             .             25

Haryana.                           .             20

Rajasthan                                        60

Delhi.                                               60

UP                                                     50

Uttarakand.&HP                            35

Bihar                                                50

W Bengal                                        150

Odissa                                             40

Assam                                              60