,All the arrangements are being made for the Great Rally of pensioners called by NCCPA on 21-07-2023. The 15 point charter of demands including Pension Revision of BSNL MTNL Pensioners, scrap PFRDA act and Restore Old Pension Scheme, Refund the arrears of the impounded three instalments of IDA/DR , Restore Railway concession to senior citizens etc are of paramount importance.

The Rally will be held from 12 to 3PM at Jantar Mantar on 21-07-2023. All the participants are requested to reach Jantar Mantar directly by 1130AM so that the program is held at the correct time

.Arrangements for accommodation to comrades coming from far away circles have already been made and intimated to all the respective Circle Secretaries. Let us complete this important program in a disciplined manner. Circle Secretaries of Delhi NTR ALTTC, Haryana,Punjab, Rajasthan UP (W) UP (E)and MP are requested to ensure maximum participation but not less than the quota decided.CHQ is sorry to state that it is not feasible and possible to arrange food etc to such a large gathering and all the comrades are requested to have the food before reaching Jantar Mantar.

Those who have not sent the memorandum to Hon’ble PM signed by the pensioners may bring it to Jantar Mantar and hand over to the General Secretary.Please bring banners, flags, placards, festoons etc to make the program colourful and successful

.Com.Tapan Sen, General Secretary,CITU has consented to inaugurate the Rally. Com.Shiv Gopal Mishra, President, NCCPA and Secretary, JCM Staff Side will preside. Prominent leaders including Coms. V A N Namboodiri,Patron, K Ragavendran Secretary General NCCPA will address the Rally.Comrades,

WE SHALL FIGHT AND WE SHALL WIN.

Com.K G Jayaraj General Secretary had a very fruitful meeting with the new CGCA, Ms. Anuradha Joshi Durgapal at her office in New Delhi on 12-07-2023.

CHQ had given a detailed letter to her predecessor, Shri. Dilip Padhye on the continuing harrassment and humiliation meted out to the VRS ST retirees of Maharashtra by denying their retirement benefits and pension in the name of caste revalidation. It was pointed out in the letter that CCA, Maharashtra is also collaborating with the BSNL management by denying the due terminal benefits and continuing Provisional Pension indefinitely in violation of the relevant rules. Certain cases of conversion of regular pension granted to provisional pension illegally were also mentioned in the letter. General Secretary handed over a copy of letter and discussed issue in detail with the CGCA. She had a very patient hearing and responded positively and called the CCA , Maharashtra in my presence. The Principal CCA was not available and spoke to one of the Joint CCAs. I could hear the Jt CCA stating that barring a few cases all other cases are settled. I immediately intervened to say that the report is not correct and even favourable judgments by CAT are not being implemented. CGCA stated that she will immediately call for a detailed report on total cases of ST VRS retirees, number of cases settled by paying the terminal benefits and regular pension and the pending cases.

General Secretary then drew her attention to the delay in granting family pension in certain Circles despite repeated instructions issued by DOP&PW and CGCA. CGCA was equally concerned about the delay in some cases and assured to intervene if brought to her notice. The difficulties being faced by the pensioners due to migration were also discussed. She stated that everything possible is being done to have a hassle free retirement life to the pensioners. Migration of pensioners drawing pension from postal department is underway and facing difficulties to reach out to all the pensioners as a good number of pensioners are not having the mobile number and asked the association to extend maximum cooperation in this regard. General Secretary replied that all our units are undertaking such responsibility in an effective manner and shall continue the same.

CGCA then appreciated AIBDPA for taking up the issues of the pensioners and fighting relentlessly for their cause even at this old age. She also stated that any suggestion intended for better service to the pensioners are welcomed.General Secretary also reciprocated by thanking her for the kind gesture extended to us.

Com. V A N Namboodiri, Advisor inaugurated the Circle Executive Committee meeting of Tamil Nadu at Erode on 11-07-2023. In his elaborate inaugural address Com.VAN dealt on all the important issues with special focus on the agitational programmes of NCCPA and Joint Forum of BSNL MTNL Pensioners Associations. Com.C K Narasimhan, Circle President presided over the meeting. Com.R Rajasekhar, Circle Secretary welcomed and presented the report. Coms. S Mohandoss, CHQ Vice President, V Venkitaraman, CHQ Organsing Secretary, V Seethalakshmi, CHQ Asst. Treasurer addressed.

BOOK RELEASED.

The book, My Life and Struggles written by Com.S Mohandoss, CHQ Vice President was released by Com.V A N Namboodiri during the CEC meeting.

*Com.K G Jayaraj General Secretary has met Shri. Mahesh Sinha, Member ( Finance) DoT on 12-07-2023 to enquire about the pension revision issue. Member (F) stated that the file has not yet received back and not aware of any progress on the issue.General Secretary could not meet Member (Services) and DDG( Estt) as both happened to be in a meeting.

*Com. K G Jayaraj General Secretary has met Shri. S P Singh, Sr GM (Admn) on 11-07-2023. At the outset, General Secretary conveyed our profound thanks for issuing the clarification letter dated 02-05-2023 on our request regarding insisting yearly submission of option to avail without voucher medical allowance by certain officers and the resultant denial of medical allowance to many eligible BSNL retirees. The clarification has helped to settle almost all the pending cases.

Furthermore, General Secretary drew his attention towards the difficulties being faced by the retirees for revalidation of medical card every year. He also brought to his notice that in the case of CGHS Card, renewal is required only when there is some change in respect of the beneficiaries. The GM responded positively and called the DGM and two concerned AGMs to his chamber and had a detailed discussion. The AGM concerned with MRS rules stated that this specific guidelines are issued based on the MRS rules. The other AGM stated that provision is being made in the BSNL portal to get the medical card revalidated online to mitigate the difficulties of the Retirees. General Secretary then argued that the MRS rules were framed some twenty years ago and needs to be amended according to the ground realities. GM finally stated that let us wait for the experience with the provision in BSNL portal and have a review later.

MEETING WITH GM (CBB) and GM ( Taxation and BFCI).

General Secretary also had meetings with Sri. Y N Singh, GM( Taxation & BFCI) and Sri. P C Bhat, GM (CBB) regarding delay in payment of indoor medical bill of Com.Subrata Misra of Asansol for Rs.1,94,097 pending since January,2023 at the Corporate Office. General Secretary was guided rather misguided to meet various officers and finally the DGM, attached to GM ( Taxation & BFCI) helped and found out that West Bengal Circle Office, although entered the amount in the system, have not sent the demand for the fund allocation which is mandatory. DGM then called the AGM and asked him to contact the concerned officer at the West Bengal Circle office to send the demand for allocation of fund in the prescribed format which was done in my presence. DGM assured to do the needful on the receipt of the same.

Comrades, I have narrated all these elaborately to have a clear understanding of the necessary formalities which are necessary to settle the payment at the Corporate Office.

Then, three complaints from Udaipur, Rajasthan of non- payment of medical allowance due to wrong feeding of bank account details in the vendor were also discussed with Shri. Kataria , AGM( CSC) . He immediately verified and stated that in all the three cases payment has been made on 29-03-2023. When I pointed out that they have not yet received the amount , the AGM asked me to get the copy of their bank account pass book.Accordingly they have been asked to send me the pass book details early for further action.

An urgent meeting of the Joint Forum of BSNL-MTNL Pensioners Associations was held with available leaders at BSNLEU Office, Eastern Court, New Delhi at 3PM on 06-07-2023.

The following comrades attended the meeting

.AIBDPA – Com.K G Jayaraj ,General Secretary

SNPWA – Com.G. L Jogi, General Secretary and Com.Dinesh C Sharma, Vice President

.BDPA(I)- Com.D D Mistry General Secretary.

MREWA – Com. R K Mudgal General Secretary and Com. B S Dalal, President

.Com.G L Jogi presided over the meeting. Observance of BLACK DAY on 6th July was reviwed and felt that there have been massive response throughout the country despite inclement weather in many parts of the country.

The following decisions were taken

.1. Com.K G Jayaraj General Secretary AIBDPA should function as the Convener of the Joint Forum.

2. Intervention by all the constituent organisations is necessary to have better and effective coordination at Circle and District level

3. The second phase of the agitational program, Mass Dharna at District level and before the CCA offices is to be organised successfully with particular focus on Dharna at CCA Offices.

4. Five Days Dharna at Jantar Mantar from 21st to 25th August,2023 is the most important and maximum participation has to be ensured mainly from Delhi, Haryana Punjab Rajasthan UP etc.

Delhi witnessed a mammoth Dharna participated by several hundreds of employees from all parts of the country in culmination of the three phased agitational programme by the Joint Forum of Non-Executives Union of BSNL on 07-07-2023. Com.C Singh, General Secretary, NFTE and Chairman, Joint Forum presided over. Com. P Abhimanyu, General Secretary and Convener in his welcome address came down heavily on the Central Government for the step motherly stand towards BSNL by not allowing it to launch 4G while the private companies have started 5G. The other demands of wage revision and implementation of new promotion policy for the non-executives were also explained elaborately and convincingly. Com.Amarjit Kaur, General Secretary, AITUC and Com.Tapan Sen ,General Secretary, CITU also criticized severely the neo-liberal policies being pursued by the Modi government which are completely anti-worker and and anti-people. Com.K G Jayaraj, General Secretary in his address extended full support to the struggle. He also explained briefly the present status of pension revision and the ongoing struggle being launched by the Joint Forum of BSNL MTNL Pensioners Associations and sought support and solidarity of the serving unions. Coms. Sureshkumar, General Secretary, BSNLMS and J Vijayakumar, General Secretary, TEPU also addressed. A good number of pensioners from various also participated as per the call of CHQ.

The first program of the three phased agitational programme called by the Joint Forum of BSNL MTNL Pensioners Associations was to observe Black day on 6th July, 2023 by organising protest demonstrations at all levels and the letter campaign to the Hon’ble Minister of Communications. The call has been responded massively all over the country. Initial reports received hint that inclemant weather conditions of heavy downpour and scorching sun proved to be insufficient to deter the spirited and committed pensioners from joining the programme enmass. The protest against the apathy of the DOT buerocracy and the government in settling their legitimate and most genuine demand of pension revision being dragged for the last 6 and half years have naturally reflected in the observance of the Black Day.

The protest action was organised at New Delhi before the office of the PCCA at Eastern Court and participated by more than two hundered fifty pensioners despite torrential rain. Coms. K G Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA, D D Mistry, General Secretary, BDPA(I), G L Jogi, General Secretary, SNPWA, R K Mudgal, General Secretary, MREWA, Rajendra Prasad, General Secreatry, MSEPA addressed . Coms . M S Adasul, Gneral Secretary, SNEA, V K Tomar, Secretary General NCOA and Dharmaraj Singh, general Secretary, MTNL Mazdoor Sangh greeted and extended full support for the agitationational programme. Com.D C Sharma, Vice President, SNPWA anchored the program.

.

.Pension Revision – let us continue the fight until achieved.

AIBDPA has taken a clear stand on the issue of pension revision from the very beginning. Pension Revision due from 01-01-2017 has to be implemented with 15% fitment as per 3rd PRC, delinking wage revision

We have been taking all-out efforts for the settlement. We have taken up the issue with Secretary DoT, three Ministers of Communications and even Hon’ble Prime Minister directly and through several Members of Parliament including the Speaker and Union Ministers.

Series of struggles were launched by AIBDPA including three Sanchar Bhawan Marches, the latest being held on 24-08-2022. Struggles were also conducted by AUAB, Coordination Committee of BSNLEU AIBDPA & BSNLCCWF and NCCPA. The four phased agitational program of NCCPA culminating in the Parliament March on 21st July,2023 is underway. As a result, government had to retreat from it’s earlier negative stand and in the discussion held with 17 pensioners associations on 17th October,2022, the then Member (Services) emphatically stated that pension revision will be delinked from wage revision. However, his offer of zero percent fitment was stoutly rejected by all the pensioners organisations in single voice. Thereafter the Member (S) assured to reconsider the fitment factor.

Meanwhile we have been able to form the Joint Forum of BSNL-MTNL Pensioners Associations with eight pensioners organisations. JF also took earnest efforts to settle the issue amicably throgh discussions. But the bureaucracy in DoT is culpably delaying the settlement. It took four months to calculate the financial implications for fitment factor of 5,10 and 15 percent. It was reported by the Member (S) on 21st March,2023 that all the consultations in DoT is completed and the final decision on fitment will be taken in the meeting with the Hon’ ble Minister of Communications in the first week of April,2023. But nothing worthwhile has happened so far. On the contrary, fallacious attempts are being made by the DoT to deny the BSNL/ MTNL absorbed pensioners their rightful, irrefutable and genuine fitment of 15 percent

.It is under these compelling circumstances that the meeting of Joint Forum held on 15th June,2023 decided to launch a three phased program of action, viz (1) Black Day on 06-07-2023 – Demonstration at all levels with Mass Letter Campaign to the Minister of Communications. (2) Dharna at District level and. CCA offices on 31-07-2023. (3) Five Days Dharna at Jantar Mantar New Delhi on 21 to 25, August,2023.So, we have to make all these struggles succesful , Parliament March of NCCPA on 21-07-2023 and the JF program of action in the coming days.

We shall not rest until and unless the most burning issue of pension revision is achieved

.Let us march forward with determination and commitment

.Final victory shall be ours.