1BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012 Single Copy : Rs. 15MARCH 2012 Vol. VII No. 03
RNI REGD. No. DELBIL/2006/17678web site : www.bharatpensioner.org e-mail : [email protected]
OFFICIAL MONTHLY ORGAN OF THE BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ, NEW DELHI - 110 014
(Federation of All India Pensioners’ Associations)
(MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION ON AGEING, TORONTO, CANADA)
DIRECT SUCCESSOR TO “PENSIONER” ESTABLISHED IN 1955
IN DEFENCE OF PARTIAL PARITY : PENSIONERS UNITE !
BPS gives a call for a Fighting Fund of `̀̀̀̀ 10 Lakh
On the advice of the Ministry of Finance (Expenditure) and in consultation with the Ministry of Law, the
Govt of India in the Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions (Deptt of Pension & PW) has since decided to
file an appeal against the historic CAT judgement (01.11.11) in the High Court of Delhi upholding the
Partial Parity for pre-2006 pensioners as recommended by the 6th CPC and accepted by Govt of India in
its Resolution published in the Gazette of India dt 29.08.2008. To quote the CAT : “Respondents are
directed to re-fix the pension of all pre-2006 retirees w.e.f. 1.1.2006, based on the resolution dt 29.08.2008
and in the light of our observations made above. Let the respondents re-fix the pension and pay the
arrears thereof within a period of 3 months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order”.
Bharat Pensioners Samaj has, along with some of its Affiliates, decided to file a plea for impleadment
in this case on behalf of all the pre-2006 Central Govt Pensioners so as to protect the interests of all such
pensioners. The expenditure involved may be between 8 and 10 lakhs. BPS, therefore, calls upon all the
Central Govt pensioners to contribute liberally to our newly - launched Fighting Fund of ̀ 10 Lakhs.
We specially appeal to all our affiliated Associations, all over India, to constitute special squads at the local
level and collect funds for this noble cause. Let one & all contribute liberally to this Fighting Fund of ̀ 10 Lakhs.
The MO’s At Par cheques / Local cheques/ transfer thru ecs Banking in the name of Bharat
Pensioners Samaj, be sent to :
Shyam Sunder, Secy Genl
BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ,
Jangpura, New Delhi - 110 014
2 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012AAP AUR HUM
FORM IV (SEE RULE 8) : BHARAT PENSIONER
1. Place of Publication New Delhi
2. Periodicity of its publication Monthly
3. Printer's name Shyam Sunder, Indian Citizen
Address 2/15-B, Jangpura 'A', New Delhi - 110 014
4. Publisher's name Shyam Sunder, Indian Citizen
Address 2/15-B, Jangpura 'A', New Delhi - 110 014
5. Editor's name (for the purpose of the Act) Y C Rai, Indian Citizen
Address E-35, Jangpura Extension, New Delhi - 110 014
6. Name and address of individuals who own the Bharat Pensioners Samaj, a Society registered
newspaper and partners or share-holders holding under the Societies Registration Act, 1960
more than one percent of the total capital
I, Shyam Sunder, hereby declare that the particulars givenabove are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
29.02.2012 SHYAM SUNDER(SIGNATURE OF PUBLISHER)
Chief Guest K K Mittal Director P & PWhonouring Amar Singh on attaining 75 years
S P Bhargava & O P Kumar with Ex-GM R KJain (Patron) Honouring O P Kumar onattaining 75 yrs while S P Bhargava looks into.
GURGAON (Haryana): RREWA – Celebrated its foundation day on 26.02.12. with
R. K. Jain, Patron, in the Chair. K K Mittal, Director, (P & PW) M/O Personnel, PG &
Pensions was the Chief Guest. Genl Secy read out the Annual Report for 2011-12. 35
Sr. members (75+) were honoured. Shri Mittal gave an assurance to the gathering that
he would always be available to help pensioners as and when required. There was also
free Eye checkup camp by Dr Rajiv Kumar & his team.
3BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012 HUM AUR AAP
1. Hum Aur Aap :
(i) Attention Life Members ................................. 3
(ii) Subscription thru ECS in SBI, Jangpura A/c of
Bharat Pensioners Samaj, New Delhi ........... 3
2. Form IV (Rule 8) ................................................. 2
3. Guidelines for IT Returns ...................................... 5
4. Revised PPO : A Clarification ........................... 6
5. Talk on Pension & Medicare - S SRamachandran, Secy Genl, AICCPA ............... 7
6. Exercise sharpens the brain .......................... 7
7. Health cover for all - New Laws shortly ........ 8
8. Laser Surgery to treat catract ........................ 8
9. BPS 1st National Convention (5.07.2010) @
New Delhi : Rly Ministry’s Response (Contd) ....... 9
10. GOI ORDERS :
01.03.12 MOF (Revenue) - RTI Information reg:
Black Money ......................................... 12
11.11.11 CGHS - Empanelment - Up to date list of
Hospitals & Diagnostic Centres (Contd).13
16.01.12 Rlys - ID Proof for reserved tickets ..... 15
30.01.12 Rlys - Special Passes to retired Rly
Inquiry Officers .................................... 16
22.02.12 CGHS - FMA : No objection
if increased to Rs 1200/- ..................... 16
16.02.12 DoT - Concessional Telephone to Postal
Pensioners with 20 years’ service ...... 17
14.02.12 Rlys - TA : Journeys on Retirement ..... 18
13.01.12 P & PW Timely redressal of grievances -
fixation of time limit ............................... 19
05.05.06 Personnel : Redress of grievances ..... 19
22.05.06 Personnel : Redress of grievances ..... 20
11. STATE ORDERS :
13.10.11 MP - DR wef 01.10.11 .......................... 21
12. From UP to UPA ................................................... 22
13. EPFO Pensioners - Min Pension @ 1,000/- ......... 23
14. 2011 : Look Ahead in Wonder ............................ 24
15. Illicit vs Licit Money .............................................. 25
16. Letter to GOI : reg : Merger of 19 P&TDispensaries with CGHS .................................... 26
17. AAP AUR HUM (RREWA, Gurgaon) ..................... 2
18. AAP AUR HUM ................................................... 27
19. AAP AUR HUM (Hindi) ........................................ 28
20. Thanks ! ............................................................ 30
21. Renewal ............................................................ 31
22. BPS in International News ................................... 31
23. You and the Countrymen by R N Tagore ............ 32
24. Compendium on Pension, CGHS & Medical Facilities
for Central Govt & BSNL Pensioners - Review .. 32
25. Budget ................................................................. 33
26. Kolaveri Di, FDI & Pension (PFRDA) Bill ............... 34
27. New Katni Jn. : RPA ............................................ 35
28. DR to Pensioners ................................................ 35
29. IIIrd National Convention - BPS Affiliated RlyPensioners Associations .................................... 36
Attention : Life MembersGIVE US UR CONTACT NO
Declaration of the LIFE MEMBER
I am the LIFE MEMBER of BHARAT PENSIONER
SAMAJ, New Delhi from the year .....................
(if known) My whole life number is as given above
I hereby affirm that I am alive and my address
and contact number (Tele / Mob) as given below:-
ID No WL - .......... / L - ..........
Name :...........................................................
......................................................................
Address.........................................................
......................................................................
Contact
Number (T / M) ............./...............
Date :............... Signatures
Subscription thru ECS in SBI,Jangpura IFSC : SBIN001274 /
10825178380Dear esteemed Member!
Kindly always add your Membership No, and
your name, in the transfer entry made by your Bank
Branch. This alone would enable us to identify it &
CREDIT it against your entry in our computer.
2. Also, you must immediately send, by post,
a photocopy of the Bank Counterfoil to BPS,
Jangpura, New Delhi - 110 014. Without this, we
cannot credit it into your account in our computer
and update your subscription accordingly.
3. Please add `25 send `225 as Br Transfer
fee if you deposit cash, an outstation
cheque(except ‘AT PAR’ cheques).
4. If you have an email facility, please intimate
Cheque No / Cash paid / Membership No. for quick
accounting & updation.
Rameshwar Kumar, Treasurer
4 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
President : Contact him directly at :K C Pipal, 15-MIG, Nehru Enclave, Agra -28 2001T : 0562 - 248 0777 M : 09412269177
Sr Vice-Prez : Send Hindi news DIRECT to R N Tripathi,L-21, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi - 92 T : 011 - 2241 2731
Secy Genl : Shyam Sunder011 - 2437 6642 (O), T : 011 - 2437 8583 (R)e-mail : [email protected]
Secy(Defence) : Reg Defence matters. contact directly:
K S Bhardwaj, Lt Col (Retd) E - 50 Kapil Vihar,Sector - 21-C, Faridabad - 121 001T : 0129 - 242 4515 M : 98710 19512
Secy (Postal & Ors) : Reg Postal & other matters. Contact:M Chandra Mowli, Plot- 21, P&T Colony, Gandhi Nagar,Hyderabad - 500 080 T : 040 - 2406 9142
Secy (Rly Pnsnrs) - For Rly matters, contact directly :S C Maheshwari, 490-A/16, Gurdwara Road,Civil Lines, Gurgaon - 122 001 Fax : 0124-230 0423T : 0124 - 230 2262 M : 098684 88199e-mail : [email protected]
Secy (BSNL/PSUs);Shreepad V Deshpande, PuneTel - 020-2447 3757, M : 09422002219
Secy (P R) : V K Taneja 27-B, Pusa Road, New Delhi - 05Tel : 011 - 2578 9203
Editor : D Jayaraman, Send (English) News directly:23, Rashi Aptts, Plot - 3, Sector - 7, Dwarka,Delhi - 110 075 T- 011 2508 8062
Jt Secy General : P N SharmaT : 011 - 2701 8811 M : 092102 04078
Asstt Secy Genl : K L Malhotra, F - 10, Rail Vihar,GZB-12 T - 0120269 8625, M - 098182 97181
Treasurer : Rameshwar Kumar DLH-88 M - 09654892289
Contact Tele : Office – 011-2437 6642
Contact Time : 11.00 - 3.00 pm onlyMembership Rates wef 1.1.09 - (Individual)
One year `̀̀̀̀ 200 (Foreign) $ 50Two years `̀̀̀̀ 380 Three years `̀̀̀̀ 550
Life Membership : (Available for Office-bearers &Mg Committee members only). `̀̀̀̀ 1,000
Annual Affiliation Fee (Assn/Institution etc) : `̀̀̀̀ 450[ Pl prepare drafts/cheques (NOT Out-station)/ecsonly in favour of BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ]
Contact each of them directly at :
Vice-Prez (North Zone):Harchandan Singh, ChandigarhT : 0172 - 222 8306 M : 093161 31598e-mail : [email protected] (East Zone):R N Dutta, 12 - E, Shakuntala Park,Baidyabati - 712 222 -08T : 033 - 2632 6070 M : 098742 47912Vice-Prez (West Zone):J Narayana Rao, 207 Kailash Aptts,Kamptee Road, Nagpur - 440 017T : 0712 - 265 2335 M : 094217 03511Vice-Prez (South Zone):M Somasekhara Rao, 12-11-1411,Buddhanagar, Secunderabad - 500 061T : 040 - 2707 8848 M : 099490 52609Vice-Prez Th Yaisukul Singh, (N E Zone):
Irawat Bhawan, Imphal (Manipur)-795 001T: 0385 - 244 3738
1. P K Goswami (Smt) DLH - 14 0112437 8583
2. S Kodwani (Smt) DLH - 24 0112984 1621
3. Jagriti Nagpaul (Ms) DLH - 08 098688 46367
4. G S Asiwal BPL - 32 0755266 5545
5. C L Vij DLH - 64 0112812 4469
6. M M Kapur DLH - 05 093508 47712
7. Pooran Lal Agra - 01 095364 61904
8. S N Gupta RWR - 01 0127422 4573
9. R C Srivastava GZB - 02 0120275 2554
10. B D Dhyani DLH - 14 099103 17318
11. Parkash Chand DLH - 18 092105 15470
12. O P Kumar GGN - 01 099116 61300
13. S P Bhargava GGN - 01 0124232 5674
14. Y P Sawhney DLH - 52 0112712 7129
15. Asis Ranjan De GUW - 12 036125 71852
16. D A N Sarma VZG - 16 092475 37961
BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ, NEW DELHI(Federation of All India Pensioners' Associations)
MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION ON AGEING, TORONTO, CANADA2/13-A, LGF ( Backside), Jangpura - 'A', Hospital Road, New Delhi - 110 014
Members, Managing Committee
Hon Legal Consultant : G S LobanaAdvocate, CAT Pr Bench & High Court, C-207,
Anand Lok Society, Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi - 110 091
T : 011 - 2275 5422 M : 0 - 98102 38999
(For any reply, a stamped ` 5 envelope a must)
Local SBI Cheques in f/o BPS should bedeposited in your own branch in BPS
Account No 10825178380 IFSC : SBIN0001274 withMICR 110002055. For ecs thru cash or outstation
cheque (except AT PAR cheque), Add `̀̀̀̀ 25 asInter Branch Transfer fee.
HUM AUR AAP
5BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
GUIDELINES FOR PENSIONERSON INCOME TAX CALCULATION &FILING RETURN FOR THE INCOME
OF FINANCIAL YEAR1.4.2011 TO 31.03.2012
The Income Tax, for the Financial Year 2011-2012 (i.e. Assessment Year 2012-2013) is to be
calculated, and return filed, before 31.7.2012.
Every individual having income from salary /
Pension / Income from one house and other
sources, has to furnish the return for his income,
if his Gross Total Income as arrived at in col.
B-4 of ITR-1 SAHAJ form, exceeds (i) ` 1,80,000/-
in case of men below 60 years of age,
(ii) ` 1,90,000/- in case of women (iii) ` 2,50,000/-
in case of men and women who are of the age of
60 years or more, and (iv) Rs. 5,00,000/- in case
of Super Senior Citizen of 80 years and above at
any time during financial year 2010-11.
PART B – GROSS TOTAL INCOME
B-1 Income from Salary /Pension is to be filled
in by adding Pension, Dearness Relief, Pay
Commission Arrears, Dearness Relief Arrears, Medical
Allowance and Pay. if received, during 2011-12
B-2 Income from one house property :-Mostly not applicable for pensioners. The interest
paid for loan taken for purchasing house is shown
as ‘loss from house property’ as minus income.
Normally the young tax-payers who take Housing
loan are able to avail the benefit of this provision.
B-3 Income from ‘Other sources’ (a) if a
person is Receiving Family Pension, the amount
of such pension is to be reduced to the extent of 1/
3rd of Pension or ` 15,000/- whichever is lower (b)
Interest received on Fixed Deposits, including post
office monthly income scheme Sr Citizen savings
scheme, and savings Bank accounts in Bank.
B-4 Gross Total Income ( B1+B2+B3)PART C - DEDUCTION AND TAXABLE TOTAL INCOME
Deposit or payments made during 1.4.2011to 31.3.12
C-1 80 C - LIC, PPF,NSC, Tax Saving Mutual
Funds,Bank Deposit, Scheme 2006 for 5 years,
Post Office, Time Deposits for 5 years, ULIP,
Sr.Citizen savings scheme.
C-2 80 CCC - Deposit in annuity plan of LIC & others.
C-3 80 CCD - Pension Scheme of Central Govt.
Aggregate amount of permissiblededuction under section 80C, 80CCC. AND 80CCD limited to `̀̀̀̀1,00,000/-
C-4 80 CCF Deduction upto `̀̀̀̀20,000/- inaddition to `̀̀̀̀1,00,000/-, can be claimed for depositin notified long term, infrastructure Bonds.
C-5 80 -D - Medical Insurance Premium upto
`15,000/- For Senior Citizen `20,000/-
C-6 80 DD - Medical Treatment of disabled
dependent.
C-7 80 DDB- Medical Treatment [Sub-sections
(e) to (I) mostly not applicable]
C-8 80 E - Interest on loan for higher Education.
(Govt, notification may be referred.)
C-9 80 G – 50% of Donation to recognized
Charitable Funds.
C-10 80 GG - Rent paid -mostly not applicable
C-11 80 GGA-Donation to scientific / Rural Dev- Fund:
C-12 80 GGC-Contribution to Political Parties
C-13 80 – U Mostly not applicable
C-14 Total Deductions (Add items C-1 to C-13)C-15 Taxable Total Income Col.B-4 (-) C-14
PART – D INCOME TAX COMPUTATION & TAX STATUS
D-1 Calculation of Income Tax payable onTotal Income (as in col. C-15)1. Upto 1,80,000 Income Tax : Nil
2. 1,80,001 to 5,00,000 Income Tax : 10%
3. 5,00,001 to 8,00,000 Income Tax : 20%
4. above Rs. 8,00,000 Income Tax : 30%
For Women: Tax up to Rs. 1,90,000/- NILFor Senior Citizens – Men & Women Tax
upto `̀̀̀̀2,50,000/- Nil, and
For Super Senior Citizens of 80 years age-Tax upto Rs. 5,00,000/- Nil and on the balance at
above rates
The total of (2),(3) and (4) as applicable is the
Income Tax on Total Income,D-2 (a) Secondary Education cess @2% and
Higher Education cess @ 1% on IT (Total 3%)
D-3 Total Tax and Cess ( D-1 + D-2 )
D-4 Relief under Section - 89 (Mostly not
applicable) When a pensioner receives pension
in arrears it may happen, that he becomes liable
to pay more Tax. To mitigate this hardship, section
89 of the Act provided for allowing the Tax relief.
IT RETURN
6 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
In individual cases this provision may help to
reduce tax liability.
D-5 Relief under Section - 90/91 (Mostly
not applicable)
D-6 Balance Tax Payable [ D3 - D4 - D5 ]D-7 Total Interest payable u/s 234A/234B/234C
D-8 Total Tax & Interest Payable (13 + 14)D-9 Total Advance Tax Paid (a) Advance
Tax (from Sch. IT) Details of advance tax paid and
D-10 Self assessment Tax paid is to be
taken from Sch. IT, If the tax liability for the year
exceeds Rs. 10,000/- the Advance Tax is to be
paid in 4 installments, failing which interest
becomes payable and the same is to be
mentioned in col. D-7
Total Self Assessment Tax paid (from Col.25) is
the amount of tax, due to be paid, after finalizing
calculation This amount of Tax is to be paid in any
authorized nationalized Bank through chalan No.
270 and the particulars mentioned in col.no.25.
D-11 Total TDS Deducted at source from pension
(Col. TDS-1) and from interest etc. is to be detailed
in col. TDS-2 and the amount to be shown here
D-12 Total Taxes paid ( D-9+D-10+D-11)
D-13 Tax Payable : Here it should be NIL;
because the difference between Total Taxpayable D-8 and Tax Paid in Col. D-12 is paid by
us as “Self Assessment Tax” & shown in D-10.
D-14 Refund : If tax paid D-12 is greater than
D-18, then only some Refund will be due
D-15 Enter your bank account Compulsory
D-16 MICR Code.
D-17 Type of accountD-18 Tick your option for refund
D-19 Exempt Income only for reporting
purposes (from Dividend, Agriculture Income
exceeding `5000/-.
The return should be prepared in duplicate, signed and one
copy presented to Income Tax Deptt. The other copy alongwith
acknowledge-ment given by Income Tax Deptt. kept on record,
with full details, and accompaniments for future reference.
Note :- Form 15H to be given by Sr Citizen and 15G by
others to avoid Tax Deducted at source every year.
The column Nos have reference to income tax return
for the Assessment year 2011-2012
Pune S. K. Deshpande,CAO (Retd)
(Ph.020-2543 3900) AICG, Pensioners’ Association
Date :25-01-2012 Pune Br, 1735,Sadashiv, Pune- 30
CONSOLIDATION OF PENSION-
NEWS ITEM(A news item published in all Dialy News Papers
published from Hyderabad & other cities on
13th February, 2012)
‘The Principal Accountant General (Accounts
& Entitlement), Hyderabad has asked all pre-2006
pensioners of the Indian Audit & Accounts
department to apply for consolidation of their
pension as per the Vlth central pay commission.
The application is to be made out in the prescribed
format available in the official website, ag.ap.nic.in.
a press release Said”.
In the background of judgement (01.11.11)
given by Principal CAT, Delhi, central pensioners
are thinking that Govt have given orders to revise
pensions of all pre-2006 retirees as per judgement.
On enquiry from the concerned authorities it
is clarified that the information was already called
for once, regarding some particulars like date of
birth of spouse, bank code no of pension paying
bank (branch), date of death of pensioner in case
of family pensioners etc., and majority of
pensioners have already given the details called
for. However, some pensioners / Family pensioners
are yet to respond to this call. The applications,
called for now, are from those who have not
furnished the relevant information so far. This
information is very much necessary.
(1) in case of pensioners drawing their pension
through banks and whose pension is yet to be
revised as per recommendations of sixth central
pay commission and authorized by Central Pay
and Accounts Officer, New Delhi’
(2) For sanctioning Additional pension to
pensioners/Family pensioners after attaining the
age of 80 years and above.
YOUR BELIEFS
Don’t make you a better person
YOUR BEHAVIOUR
does Anonymous
REVISED PPO
7BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
Gist of talk given by Shri S.S.Ramachandran, Secy Genl, AICCPA,ND on Pensioner’s Day organised byAERWA, on 17-12-2011 at the BARCTraining School Hostel, MultipurposeHall, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai
MODIFIED PARITY : S.S.Ramachandran
made the following points. The concept of “modified
parity” by Justice Pandian on V CPC is only an
extension of the existing employee being granted
the minimum of the new pay scale if the fitment
formula results in lower reference pay for fixation
in the new seals of pay effective from the crucial
date for all purposes. This basic principle was
not extended to the pensioners all these days.
S C JUDGEMENTS : There is a difference
between the content and impact of Nakara
judgment of 17.12.1982 and Maj. Gen. Vain’s
judgment. The Nakara lays down a principle that
future improvements in pensions should be
extended to existing pensioners as the fruits of a
new pay scale is extended to existing employees.
Our (so-called) National pro-labour, pro-people, pro-
pensioner Government did not feel the need for
extending this principle already adopted for the
employees to ex-employees also prospectively.
In the Major General Vain’s judgment, it is the
quantum that is extended on to either side of the
cut off date and, as the Supreme Court clearly
states, is on the principle of one rank one pension
for the armed forces. Hence, let us not confuse
between the two judgments.
NPS 2004 : Government has introduced a new
pension scheme w.e.f 2004. Payment is based
on the interest generated by suitable investments
of the contributions flowing into the Pension Fund
in the market, less administrative expenses. It is
more or less a Mutual Fund transaction. Any
scheme that is introduced has to be an
improvement of an existing scheme. One has to
see that the benefits of the existing scheme are
not lost in the new replacement scheme. That
way, the 2004 NPS fails the test. Govt have also
Exercisesharpens the brain
It is well known that exercise increases our
fitness levels by making the muscles more
resistant to fatigue. Past research has found
exercise spurs the birth of new mitochondria –
structures in the cells that produce the body’s
energy. Now, a team from the University of South
Carolina have revealed that a regular session could
sharpen the mind in exactly the same way. They
have found that regular treadmill workout helps in
brain functioning.
failed to spell out the fruits of the NPS 2004. On
the other hand some adhoc arrangements are
given to deal with death, resignation of the post
2004 recruits. Why? What are the nodal ministry
and the Finance Ministry doing?
MEDICARE : VI CPC has recommended the
continuance of CGHS but also the health insurance
scheme in addition. As far as the existing
pensioners are concerned there is a block of over
10 lakh residing in non-CGHS areas not having
any health scheme. We, as pensioners, want the
new scheme to be an enhancement of the existing
scheme in terms of concessions / terms, etc and
not resulting in denial, or curtailment, of existing
terms and conditions and also contribution to be
based on our earnings as is the practice and
tradition in health schemes currently.
PENSION REVISION : In the matter of pension
revision the VI CPC have curtailed the terms and
conditions adopted while V CPC revisions were
taken up. We are fighting for restoration of V CPC
methodology and practice for revision of pension
in VI CPC level also. The main opposition to VI
CPC implementation is the philosophy of Pay
Bands. We demand its abolition.
Courtesy : Newsletter of AERWAVol.12 No 6 / 11-12/2011
SSR TALK
8 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
LASER SURGERY TO TREAT CATARACT
NEW DELHI: A bladeless robotic laser
technology is now available in the country to treat
cataract, a condition where the lens of the eye
clouds and hampers vision.
The femtosecond laser cataract removal
technique, which had received the US Food and
Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval in 2010-end,
has better results in terms of vision quality and
surgical precision than the earlier forms of surgery.
In the earlier technique, the incision in the
cornea is made through a hand-held blade -
breaking cataract into pieces, sucking those
pieces out of the eye and placing an artificial lens
manually.
“The new technique is entirely machine-
assisted and more accurate,” said Dr Mahipal S
Sachdev, chairman, Centre for Sight group of
super-specialised eye hospitals, which conducted
10 such procedures since they got the machine
a week ago.
The steep cost of the surgery does not make
it suitable for the poor, which comprise majority
of cataract patients in India. “It costs ` 75,000/-
more than the conventional surgery. As of now, it
is a niche treatment procedure, but as the
technology evolves, the prices will come down,”
said Dr Sachdev.
The machine uses high intensity rays, which
are focused on the lens to break the cataract into
pieces. The corneal incision is made through
machine - generated vapours that are self-sealing.
“As there is no use of blade and no loss of blood,
the risk of infection is very low and recoveiy is
much faster,” said Dr Ritika Sachdev, additional
director medical services, Centre for Sight.
As the final positioning of the lens is done by
the robot, the quality of vision is far better. Delhi has
two more such machines installed at Eye 7 Group
of Hospitals and Dr S Bharti’s Eye Foundation.
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
GOVT DRAFTING LAWS TO MAKEHEALTH COVER FOR ALL A REALITY`5-lakh-crore plan to also regulate pvt Healthcare
by-Chetan ChauhanNEW DELHI: The government is preparing to
expand its health-care net to cover every Indian.
It’s making two laws — the Public Health Act
and Clinical Establishment Act — to action this
plan, which aims to provide essential health
services to all citizens by 2017. The budget for
this will come to almost ̀ 5 lakh crore, double the
outlay in the 11th five-year plan (2007-12).
The proposed laws would also make it
mandatory for private hospitals to provide services
in emergency situations, adopt minimum standards
and follow the government’s price regulations. To
achieve this, the laws would bring the existing health
machinery – the state government’s department of
health services – under its ambit.
Government sources said the labour ministry
will expand its existing health insurance scheme
to ensure all residents have access to emergency
and OPD services and avail health services up to
`2 lakh per year by paying a small premium. “The
ministry’s budget is being doubled to roll out the
scheme,” an official said, requesting anonymity
since an official announcement is yet to be made.
The initiative will be kick-started on March 16,
when finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is
expected to announce a government sponsored
health insurance scheme for all.
The proposed laws would ensure access to rural
health centres, maternity and child care facilities
and public health courses in all medical colleges.
A Planning Commission steering committee has
also asked the government to make it a must for
medical students to work in rural areas.
But, the biggest bottleneck is that health is a
state subject. Hence, the committee wants the
et Centre to link the disbursement of funds with
implementation of the model law. “An MoU with
each state government linking implementation of
these laws would soon be in the offing,” said a
plan panel functionary.
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
MEDICARE
9BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
S.No
3
3(i)
3(ii)
3(iii)
3(iv)
3(v)
SUBJECT
Post Retirement Passes: Post-retirement Complimentary
passes are issued to Rly servants subject to the same conditions
as applicable to Rly servants in service. Thus it would not only be
logical but also fully justified to extened the same revised
entitlement of Passes as per Rly Bd’s recent order vide their No.
E(W)2008/PS5-l/38 dt 06-01-2011, RBE No.03/2011 to all retired
Rly personnel w/o any cut off date.
Widow pass :- In widow passes the dependent relatives are not
entitled to be included except for the dependant widow mother of
the deceased Rly employee. This is too harsh a rule for a widow
who is emotionally, financially & socially shattered and left alone
with the liability of caring not only for her own dependent children
but also the parents of her late husband. Widowed mother-in-law
is included as her family member, but not her own dependent
children. This indiscreet attitude towards widows needs to be set
right w/o delay. They may be allowed to include dependent relatives
in their passes as per the entitlement of their late Husbands
Secondary Family PensionersThe dependent relatives who
on their turn get family pension, become only technically
independent on account of the family pension, which they get
dueto being dependent on their parents. In actual fact they continue
to be dependent on their parents & that is why they get the FP. In
view of this, their entitlement for post retirement passes needs to
be urgently considered for a favourable decision.
Companion in Ilnd class Post retirement Passes :-Pensioners are a homogenous group, variation in ‘Age’ related
privilege within the same organization, is in discretionary and
needs to be rectified, Ministry of Railways is therefore requested
to allow the facility of Companion in the second class Post retirement
passes also.
Restore the Post-retirement Pass entitlement of thoseretiring after 20 years of service :- Prior to the implementation
of 6th CPC, those seeking voluntary retirement on completion of 20
years of qualifying service were getting a weightage of 05 years
of qualifying service. For this very reason, they used to become
automatically eligible for 2/3 sets (2 sets in case of Group ‘C’ & 3
sets in case of Groups ‘A’ & ‘B’) of Post Retirement Complimentary
Passes. After delinking of 33 years of qualifying service for
computation of pension as per 6 CPC recommendations, all those
retiring from service after completing 20 years of qualifying service,
though getting higher pension yet would also unfortunately be
RAILWAY BD’s REMARKS
Matter regarding revised pass entitlements on
post retirement complimentary passes/widow
passes as per 6* CPC pay structure is under
examination
Widow pass is relatively a new concept in the
Railway Servants (Pass) Rules for the benefit
of the widows. Further liberalisation of the facility
on widow pass to include more relatives is not
feasible due to financial and other implications
Pass entitlements are based on provisions,
contained in Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986
(Second Edition, 1993) which are independent of
the Pension Rules. There has been large scale
liberalisation in pass rules recently and further
relaxation of provisions is not considered feasible
due to financial and other implications.
Facility of attendant/ companion is regulated in
terms of Rly Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986 (2nd
Edition, 1993) which does not provide for attendant
/ companion on 2nd class pass whether serving or
retired. Further liberalization of this settled position
in favour of retirees eligible for 2nd class pass is
not feasible due to financial and other implications
Pass facility for railway employees is governed
by Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986
(Second Edition 1993). There is no change in
the policy regarding service required for being
eligible to post retirement complimentary passes.
Continued from February, 2012 Issue
DEMANDS RAISED ON 05.07.2010 (NEW DELHI)
@ BPS’ 1ST NATIONAL CONVENTION OF RLY PENSIONERS ASSNSRly Ministry’s Belated, yet Positive, response to
RLY CONVENTION
10 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
3(vi)
3(vii)
4.
5.
5(i)
5(ii)
automatically deprived of the existing benefit of 2/3 sets of Post
Retirement Complimentary Passes which in the interest of fair-
play and justice, needs to be restored forthwith.
The lowest Post retirement pass at par with Group ‘C’.After the implementation of the recommendation of 6 CPC, now
there is no Group ‘D’ of employees and the lowest Group now is
Group ‘C’. Hence, the erstwhile group ‘D’ pensioners may be issued
Post retirement passes at par with Group-C pensioners
Issue of post retirement passes - Denial of same Dayfacility :- In spite of instructions to do so, post retirement passes
are not being issued the same day resulting in repeated visits to
the concerned office causing physical and financial strain to elderly
people. The Rly Bd is requested to see that the instructions/orders
issued are strictly followed
Early Setting up of Seventh Pay Commission:-
Welfare Measures:-Include Pensioners representative in Committees / Forums wherein
policies/anomalies’ and other matters concerning pensioners are
discussed, debated and decided Discussing & deciding the matters/
policies relating to Pensioners, with representatives other than those
of pensioners, is unfair and is against the Rules of ‘Natural Justice’.
At present various Committees like National Anomaly Committee
(NAC) and JCM (on Pensionary matters), are there wherein matters/
policies relating to pensioners’ welfare are discussed and decided,
but they do not have pensioners’ representative with the result
their viewpoints, hardships and anomalies are not properly
represented. Moreover, such of the existing committees cover only
Group-D & Group-C employees. There is no Forum or Committee to
sort out the items pertaining to Group A&B pensioners. As
pensioners are a homogenous class, there is an urgent need to
constitute separate Committees for pensioners wherein matter/
policies/anomalies relating to pensioners of all Groups & categories
may be discussed. Natural justice demands that the stake holders
(Group A&B) too should be included in these Committees. In view
of the facts mentioned in foregoing lines, the Rly Bd is requested to
constitute separate Committees with Pensioners’ representatives,
wherein issues relating to the welfare of pensioners may be
discussed and debated as already recommended by the 5th CPC
vide their Para 141.30. This will give them a feeling of participation
and involvement in decision making.
Correspondence and representations by Pensioners’Associations:- Pensioners’ Associations are basically Welfare
organizations working for the betterment of Pensioners, but in
spite of clear instructions from Rly Bd vide their No.E(W)2001/PA/
i dt 30-09-2004, most of the Divisions & Zones are not replying to
the representations made by these Associations.
Issue regarding pass entitlement to erstwhile
Group ‘D’ staff eclassified as Group ‘C’ is under
examination
Zonal Railways pass issuing authorities are
expected to issue the pass as requested as
soon as possible. However, such instance may
be isolated cases and need to be tackled locally.
This is a policy matter for the Ministry of Finance
which is the nodal Ministry in this regard.
Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies
(SCOVA) adequately represents concerns of
the Pensioners and the issues relating to policy
and its implementation raised therein are
examined and resolved by the Railways.
Instructions have also been issued to Railways
for prompt redressal of the Pensioners’
grievances.
Board’s instructions in the matter of Pension
Adalats are not specific to any category and
hence railway employees of all categories are
covered by the instructions.
Zonal Railway’s have been advised to adhere
to the instructions issued by Railway Board in
this regard.
RLY CONVENTION
11BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
5(iii)
5(iv)
5(v)
Provision of office accommodation to PensionersAssociation:- As recommended by 5n CPC in their Para 141.24-
Railway Rules permit allotment of Railway Lands & Building to
Staff welfare organizations, which the pensioners’ organizations
in fact are, on the ground of Pension being “Deferred Wage”
subject to future good conduct. There are Institutes, Welfare
Centres & Women Welfare organization etc, which are being
nursed and encouraged for the welfare of various segaments of
Railway employee and their families. Then let’s ask, why only
Pensioners Welfare Organizations1 are being discriminated
against? In the absence specific guidelines from the Railway
Board, some GMs & DRMs like those on S.C. Rly. Are exercising
subjective discretion in allotment of office accommodation to
Pensioners Associations while the other altogether refuse to do
so. Railway Board, is therefore, requested to consider the matter
sympathetically in the light of 5th CPC recommendations vide their
Paral41.24 and issue definite guidelines in this regard.
Allowances:- Pension is Deferred Wage -Subject to future good conduct. Therefore, pensioner is not a
written off category of staff and thus, he has legitimate entitlement
to share the benefits such as House Rent Allowance, Transport
Allowance, Children’s Educational Allowance, Hostel Subsidy,
Festival Advance. The Railway Board is requested to extend the
benefit of all such benefits to the Pensioners to enable them to
cope up with the continuous all-round increase in cost of living
due to high inflationary trends in the country’s economy.
Funeral ex-gratia etc:- To help Pensioners & family pensioners
in distress it is proposed that whatever facilities already exist for
the serving employees, may also be allowed to be shared by the
pensioners as was suggested by 5th CPC also vide their Para
141.23 and they may be sanctioned.
There is no policy regarding allotment of office
accommodation to Pensioners’ Association.
However, an item regarding grants in aid to
pensioners’ associations to cover ‘rent’ for office
accommodation was raised in the 20th SCOVA
meeting and the same is under examination by
DOP&PW.
Transport Allowance is provided to serving
employees to compensate for the cost incurred
on account of commuting between the place of
residence and place of duty. As Pensioners are
no more in service, there is no place of duty for
them. As such, there is no rationale to provide
Transport Allowance to Pensioners. Further, the
instructions on Transport Allowance are issued
on the basis of orders received from Ministry of
Finance, which is the nodal department on the
subject. As such, this Ministry is not in position
to make any unilateral change in the matter.
Funeral advance is payable only to serving
employees’ families and is adjustable from
settlement dues. The demand is not feasible of
acceptance.
Provision of Widow pass has been in in force in Railways for well over two decades. Firstly, the name “Widow pass”
itself is a discrimination against women as it carries a social stigma & needs to be changed immediately. Whatever
may be the reason, it is not only discriminatory but also against the Rules of Natural justice to include mother-in-law
& to exclude a dependent disabled unmarried / divorced / widowed daughter from the purview of Widow post
retirement Pass. This discrimination against women must end forthwith.
SCOVA is altogether a different forum than the JCM (on Pensionary matters) & Departmental Anomaly Committees.
SCOVA/Pension Adalat do not have any inbuilt negotiating tool. They cannot be equated with JCM (on Pensionary matters)
& Departmental Anomaly Committees. Since matters/policies concerning Pensioners are discussed debated & decided in
these two bodies. It is totally unjust to discuss, debate & decide the matters concerning Pensioners without their presence
& participation. Thus inclusion of Pensioners’ representatives in these Forums needs to be considered on priorty.
3(ii)
5(i)
EDITOR’S NOTE :The following Serial / Clausewise remarks are offered for your convenience.
BPS REMARKS (Serial / Clausewise)
RLY CONVENTION
12 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
RTI MATTER / MOST URGENT
BY SPEED POST
F.No.500/49/RTI/2012-FT&TR-I
Govt of India, Ministry of Finance
Deptt of Revenue, Central Board of Direct Taxes
(Foreign Tax & Tax Research-I Division)
R.No.702, 7th Floor,
‘C’ Wing, Hudco Vishala Bldg.,
14, Bhikaji Cama Place,
New Delhi, dated 1st March, 2012.
ORDER U/S 7(1) OF THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
An application dated 02.01.2012 was filed under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (“the RTI Act”)
by Sh. S.C.Maheshwari (“the applicant”) with the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare,
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, New Delhi which was forwarded by them to the
Department of Personnel and Training. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions vide
their letter dated 31.01.2012. The above application was in turn forwarded by the Department of Personnel
and Training to the RTI Cell, Department of Revenue vide its letter dated 6th February, 2012 which was
diarized by RTI Cell vide Dy.No.544, dated 14.02.2012. The application was forwarded to the Under
Secretary (FT&TR-l) for providing information on Point (1) which was received by the undersigned on
15.02.2012 in this office.
The information to the extent available in this division is furnished as follows:
Point (1) :- To get back the black money to the country, a five pronged strategy has been formulated
by the Government which is summarized as under:
a. Joining the global crusade against ‘black money’ (for example our action in G 20, Global
Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, Task Force on Financial
Integrity and Economic Development, Financial Action Task Force, UN, OECD, etc.)
b. Creating an appropriate legislative framework: (Various ami tax evasion measures legislated
in existing Act and proposed in the DTC, New DTAAs and TIEAs, amend existing DTAAs)
c. Setting up institutions for dealing with Illicit Funds; (10 IncomeTax Overseas Units, dedicated
computerized Exchange of Information [EOI Unit], FIU)
d. Developing systems for implementation (new manpower policy); and
e. Imparting skills to the manpower for effective action (constant training for skill development).
The present RTI application filed by the applicant is disposed off as above. Appeal against this order, if
any, may be preferred within 30 days of receipt of the same before Mr. Rahul Navin, Director (FT&TR-III)
& Appellate Authority, 7th Floor, Hudco Vishala Building, 14, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi- 110 066.
(P S Sivasankaran)
Under Secretary (FT&TR-IIl(2)) & CPIO
Copy to:
a) Sh.S.C.Maheshwari, 490A/I6, Gurudwara Road, Gurgaon - 122 001.
GOI ORDERS
13BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
List of New Hospitals empanelled under CGHS. AHMEDABAD
GENERAL PURPOSE
Continued from February, 2012 IssueANNEXURE - OM DT 11.11.11
S.No.
1
2
1*
1
2
6
Approved for
Genl Purpose Including
Cardiology & Cardio-
thoracic and Joint
Replacement Surgery
Genl Purpose Including
Cardiology & Cardio-
thoracic surgery
Eye & Dental
Diagnoslic Laboratory
USG only
Diagnoslic Laboratory
Whetheraccreditedby NABH
YES
NABH
No
Whether already on the panel ofCGHS and if yes, facilities
approved for
YES : General purpose, Cardiology &
Cardiothoracic surgery, dialysis,
Lithotripsy / TURP, Laparoscopic surgery,
orthopedics including joint replacement
No
No
SPECIALITY (SELECTIVE)
SUPER SPECIALITY
CANCER HOSPITAL
EYE CARE CENTRES
DENTAL CLINICS
DIAGNOSTIC AND IMAGING CENTRES
Name of the Hospital
Sterling Hospitals, Sterling Hospital
Road, Mem Nagar, Ahmedabad
w.e.f. 30'” December 2010
Shalby Hospitals, Opp. Karnavati Club,
S.G.Road, Ahmedabad-380015.
w.e.f. 5'” July, 2011
SPECIALITY (SELECTIVE)
NIL
SUPER SPECIALITY
NIL
CANCER HOSPITAL
NIL
EYE CARE Centres
NIDHI HOSPITAL Stadium Commerce
College Road, Navarangpura,
Ahmedabad - 380 009.
Tel.: (0)79 40232121 / 26426631 /
26426651 Fax: + 91(0)7940232199
w.e.f. 30'” December 2010
Sanket Metropolis Health Services
(India) Pvt Ltd, Shefali House, behind
Rangkrupa Bldg., Parimal Cross
Road. Ahemdabad
w.e.f. 12th July, 2011
SUPER RELIGARE LABORATORIES
LIMITED, 1st Floor The Grand Mall,
Opp SBI Zonal Office, Ambavadi,
Ahmedabad -380015
w.e.f. 12th July, 2011
SUPRATECH MICROPATH
LABORATORY & RESEARCH INSTITUTE,
Kedar Bldg., Opp Krupa Petrol Pump, Nr
Parimal Garden Ahmedabad.
w.e.f. 12th July, 2011
GOI ORDERS
14 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
Approved for
General Purpose
Including Joint
Replacement
General Purpose
General purpose
General purpose
General purpose
General Purpose
Cardiology &
Cardiothoracic
Surgery
Orthopedic Surgery
Endoscopic Surgery
Endoscopic Surgery
Whetheraccreditedby NABH
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Whether already on the panel ofCGHS and if yes, facilities
approved for
Yes : General purpose treatment
(except Laparoscopic surgery)
and Orthopaedic surgery)
Yes : General Purpose
Yes : General Purpose
Yes : General Purpose
Yes for General Purpose treatment
No
Yes : Cardiology & Cardiothoracic
Surgery
Yes
Yes for Endoscopic / Laparoscopic
surgery in the field of surgery,
Gynecology, ENT, Urology and Oncology.
No
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
List of New Hospitals empanelled under CGHS. ALLAHABAD
GENERAL PURPOSE
SPECIALITY (SELECTIVE)
Name of the Hospital
Guru Kripa Jagrati Hospital & Research
Centre Pvt. Ltd., 124/A/1 Thornhill Road,
Allahabad (Tel: 0532-2601945/2602586)
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Jeevan Jyoti Hospital, 162 Bai Ka Bagh
(Lowther Road), Allahabad 211 003,
UP [Tel:0532 -241 8091 /241 8004]
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Nazareth Hospital, 13 - A, Kamla
Nehru Road, Allahabad - 211 001
[Tel: 0532 - 2600430 / 2602612]
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Saket Maternity and Nursing Home
Pvt. Ltd., 1203 B.H.S. Kidwai Nagar,
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Vatsalya Maternity & Surgical Centre
Pvt. Ltd., 6/8 Elgin Road, Civil Lines,
Allahabad - 211001. Tel. 0532 - 2407540
w.e.f 1st November, 2011
Priti Nursing & Maternity Home,
39, C-Y-, Chintamani Road, George
Town, Allahabad. Tel. 0532-2468745
w.e.f 1st November, 2011
Heartline Cardiac Care Centre, Elgin
Road, Allahabad
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Yashlok Hospital & Research Centre,
Allahabad
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Dr. N.D. Tahiliani Memorial Clinic, 22,
Hastings Road, Allahabad -211001.
Tel. No. 0532-2424544
w.e.f 1st November, 2011
D.R.S. Hospital, Transport Nagar,
Munderamanoi, Plot No. Allahabad.
Tel.No.0532-2233207
w.e.f 1st November, 2011
GOI ORDERS
15BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
5
1
1
2
3
Cardiology,
Cardiovascular and
Cardiothoracic
Surgery.
Eye Care Hospital
Radiology
Radiology
Diagnostic Laboratory
No
No
No
No
Yes for Cardiology, Cardiovascular
and Cardiothoracic Surgery
Yes : Eye Care [Cataract / Glaucoma,
Strabismus and Occuloplasty and
Adnexa surgeries]
Saraswati Heart Care & Research
Centre Pvt. Ltd., 5/1, Lowther Road,
Darbhanga Colony, Allahabad -
211002, Tel.: 0532-2461096
w.e.f 1st November, 2011
NIL
NIL
Dr. Chauhan’s Phaco-Laser Eye Clinic,
148 Attarsurya Kalyani Devi, Allahabad
w.e.f 30th December, 2010
Arpit Pathology Centre / Advanced
Diagnostic Centre, Allahabad
w.e.f. 12th July, 2011
Kriti Scanning, 55 -B Lowther Road,
Allahabad
w.e.f. 12th July, 2011
Toshi pathology , 19/A 1 AN Jha Marg
Allahabad
w.e.f. 12th July, 2011
SUPER SPECIALITY
CANCER HOSPITAL
EYE CARE CENTRES
DENTAL CLINICS
DIAGNOSTIC AND IMAGING CENTRES
Rly Bd’s Commercial Circular No.04/2012/letter N0.2011/TG-1/20/P/
Tatkaal dt. 16.01.2012
Sub :- Provision for carrying of ID proof duringjourney on reserved ticket
At present, the passengers with Tatkaal ticket
and e-ticket are to carry original proof of identity
during the course of railway journey. With a view
to preventing the cases of travelling on transferred
tickets, now it has been decided that any one of
the passengers / the passenger booked on the
tickets issued from computerized passenger
reservation system (PRS) and internet (e-ticket)
undertaking journey in AC3Tier/AC2/lst AC, AC
Chair Car and Executive Classes will also have
to carry any one of the nine prescribed proofs of
identity (in original) during the journey, and
produce the same as and when required failing
which all the passengers booked on that ticket
will be treated as’without ticket and charged
accordingly.
2. The list of valid proofs of identity are as
under: Voter Photo Identity Card issued by
Election Commission, Passport, PAN card issued
by Income Tax Department, Driving License issued
by RTO, Photo Identity Card having serial number
issued by Central/State Government, Student ID
card with photograph, issued by recognized
school / college for their students, Nationalized
Bank Pass Book with photograph, Credit Cards
issued by banks with laminated photographs, UIC
Unique Indentification Card, AADHAR.
GOI ORDERS
16 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
DEVILS VS ANGELS
If men were angels,
no government would be necessary.
JAMES MADISON
Rly Bd’s OM No E(W)2000/PS 5-1/24
dt 30.01.2012 (RBE No 13/2012)
Sub: Issue of Special Passes to retired Railway
Officers empanelled as Inquiry Officers -
Amendment to Schedule VII of Railway
Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986
In terms of provisions contain In Item 41 of the
Schedule VII attached to Railway Servants (Pass)
Rules, 1986 as amended from time to time, retired
Officer who are empanelled as Inquiry Officers to
conduct departmental inquiries in D&AR cases,
may be issued special passes to undertake
journeys for conduct of enquiry or for any other
associated purposes. The aforesaid pass facility
is for self only for travel in the Class I which a
serving Railway Officer of equivalent rank is
entitled to on duty, along with provision of an
attendant in the second/Sleeper Class.
2. It had been under consideration of the
Railway Board to improve aforesaid pass facility
admissible to retired Railway Inquiry Officers
(RIOs) in the interest if expeditious clearing of
pending vigilance inquiries. Accordingly, it has
now been decided that retired Railway Inquiry
Officers may be issued Railway passes for self
and spouse of the Class as admissible at the
time of their retirement, along with provision of an
attendant in Second/Sleeper Class for the
purpose of undertake journeys in connection with
D&AR inquiries.
3. In view of the above, item 41 in the Schedule
VII of Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986 may
be amended as per the Advance Correction Slip
No.72* enclosed.
Dy. Director/Establishment (Welfare)
* Not printed......Editor, BP
POSITIVE RESPONSE :
TO BPS LONG STANDING DEMAND
GOOD NEWS : MINISTRY OF HEALTH HASNO OBJECTION TO FMA @ 1200 P.M.
Letter No F.20020/45/2012-CGHS(P) dt22.02.2012 Govt of India, Ministry of Health &Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhito Deptt of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (Attn: Mrs. Deepa Anand, US) 3rd Floor, Lok NayakBhawan, Khan Market, New Delhi-110003.
Sub: Request for Information under RTI Act 2005- Regarding
Sir, I am directed to enclose herewith a copy of
an application dt 2nd January, 2012, from Shri S.C.
Maheshwari, seeking information Under RTI Act-
2005. As regard point no. 4(c) this Ministry has
no objection if FMA is increased from `300/- to
`1200/-.
The application is being transferred in
accordance with the provision of Section 6(3) of
the RTI Act, 2005.
Jai Prakash, Under Secretary to theGovt of India & CPIO, Tel : 23061881
Encls : as above.
Copy to :
1. Shri S.C. Maheshwari Secretary (Railway),
Bharat Pensioners Samaj, 490 A/16, Gurudwara
Road, Gurgaon - 122 001.
2. S.O.CDN.II-Section, Department of Health
& Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.
w.r.t. your Dy. No: 2240 dt : 08.02.2012
lQj esa /kwi rks gkssxh]lQj esa /kwi rks gkssxh]lQj esa /kwi rks gkssxh]lQj esa /kwi rks gkssxh]lQj esa /kwi rks gkssxh]
tks py ldks rks pyksAtks py ldks rks pyksAtks py ldks rks pyksAtks py ldks rks pyksAtks py ldks rks pyksA
lHkh gSa HkhM+ esa]lHkh gSa HkhM+ esa]lHkh gSa HkhM+ esa]lHkh gSa HkhM+ esa]lHkh gSa HkhM+ esa]
rqe fudy ldks rks pyksArqe fudy ldks rks pyksArqe fudy ldks rks pyksArqe fudy ldks rks pyksArqe fudy ldks rks pyksA
¼funk Q+kt+yh½¼funk Q+kt+yh½¼funk Q+kt+yh½¼funk Q+kt+yh½¼funk Q+kt+yh½
GOI ORDERS
17BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
PROPOSAL FOR CONCESSIONALTELEPHONES UNDER CONSIDERATION
Letter No. 1 9-04/2012 - PHP dt 16.02.2012from Govt of India Ministry of Commns & IT,Deptt of Telecom, # 1205, Sanchar Bhawan,Ashoka Road, New Delhi to S C Maheshwari,
Secy (Railways), Bharat Pensioners Samaj, 490-
A/16, Gurudwara Road, Gurgaon - 122 002
Sub: RTI application dated 30.01.2012 transferred
by Shri K.K. Miglani, Director (Coord.) &
CPIO and received in the office of Director
(PHP) on 15.02.2012 for seeking information
on under RTI Act, 2005 reg. Concessional
Telephone Facilities to P&T Pensioners
Kindly refer to your RTI application dt 30.01.2012.
2. The information sought by you on point No.
24 is given below:
“The policy regarding extension of
concessional telephone facility to postal
pensioners who have completed 20 years or more
as on 31-03-1985 in DoP&T (before bifurcation)
is under examination.”
A K Verma, Director (PHP) and CPIO
Tel : 2303 6028
(Cont from p.23 )
And India has shown in the past that it has the
resilience to pull out of the worst of crises. The
new India that we celebrate today is, in fact, a
product of the foreign exchange crisis we faced
in 1991. So the current crisis could well mark the
starting point for India’s second coming. If we could
do it then, we can do it again.
SEARCHING NEW FACES FOR CHANGE
It is, perhaps, time we shift our faith beyond
the political leadership and icons of the business
world for ushering in the change that India must
embrace to emerge a winner in the year ahead.
The Anna Hazare-led campaign, which saw
unprecedented resonance across the country,
demonstrated that change is not always top-
down. More so at a time, when India is witnessing
its people’s aspirations grow at a pace that the
imagination of our leadership can barely match.
It is time to look up from the bottom. It is time
to search and celebrate new faces that will make,
or are making, change happen.
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
DIET / EXERCISEPeople begin the New Year with
resolutions seriously enough, but almost
always abandon them midway, the reason
is simple: the majority of new vear’s
resolutions are some sort of vow to lead
healthier lives, which is easier said than
done.
But having a friend or partner who also
has a similar target or supports your decision
can boost the likelihood of sticking to them.
US researchers say that buddy schemes
involving friends, family and colleagues help
people stick to diets, exercise regiments,
health plans and other resolutions over time,
BURNT NORTON by T S ELIOTTime present and time past, are both
perhaps present in time futute, and time
future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present, All time is
unredeemable. What might have been is
an abstraction, Remaining a perpetual
possibility, only in a world of speculation.
What might have been and what has been
point to one end, which is always present.
Footfalls echo in the memory down the
passage which we did not take Towards
the door we never opened into the rose -
garden.
GOI ORDERS
18 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
Rly Bd’s Letter No.F(E)I/2011/AL-28/26/PC-VI No. 284/RBE No. 19 dt
14.02.2012
Sub: Travelling allowance rules - Journeyon Transfer/Retirement
In terms of Board’s letter No.E(W)2004 PS 5-
9/1 dt 01.08.2011, personal effects up to the
specified weight limits and/or conveyance up to
the prescribed scale/rates as prescribed under
Board’s letter No. E(W)2004 PS 5-9/1 dt
17.06.2009 were permitted to be transported by
road on reimbursement basis in lieu of Kit Pass
to the place of posting on transfer/place of
settlement after retirement. The reimbursement
on account of transportation of personal effects/
conveyance was to be regulated as prescribed in
Board’s letter of even number dt 01.09.2011.
2. In terms of para II of the said letter, if
transportation of personal effects is made by road
between places connected by rail, reimbursement
of actual expenditure by road limited to
presumptive railway freight would be admissible,
3. However, doubts have been raised by one
of the railways regarding methodology to be
followed in calculating presumptive railway freight.
The matter has been examined in Board’s office
and it has been decided that rates per km for
transport by road as prescribed in Board’s letter
No F(E)I/2008/AL-28/15 dt 29.12.2010 would be
applicable to transportation of personal effects
made by road between places connected by rail
also. Therefore, there would no longer be any
distinction in rates of transportation of personal
effects by road between places connected by rail
or not connected by rail.
4. Accordingly, in partial modification of
Board’s letter of even number dt 1.9.2011, para II
of the said letter may be modified to read as
under:
“II. Transportation Personal effects on
Transfer/settlement after of retirement:
(i) If the transportation of personal effects is
made by rail
(ii) If the transportation of personal effects is
made by road
Rates prescribed in terms of Board’s letter
number F(E)I/2008/AL28/15 dated 29.12.2010
and revised vide Board’s letter No.F(E)I/2011/AL-
28/18 dated 13.06.2011 would be applicable for
transportation of personal effects by Road from
the place of residence to the Railway Station at
the old headquarters and from Railway Station to
the place of residence at the new headquarters.
Reimbursement of actual expenditure by road
limited to rates prescribed in terms of Board’s
letter number F(E)I/2008/AL28/15 dated
29,12.2010 and revised vide Board’s letter
No.F(E)I/2011/AL-28/18 dated 13.06.2011
5. All other provisions given in Board’s letter
dated, 1.9.11 shall continue to be applicable.
6. These orders shall take effect from 3rd June,
2011 i.e. date of effect of Board’s letter No. E(W)/
2004/PS 5-9/1 dated 01.08.2011.
SONALI CHATURVEDI,Dy. Director Finance (Estt)
GOI ORDERS
EXERCISE with MUSICIf you listen to music while exercising, your
brain works better too, showed a study of mental
performance after exercising without music, and
exercising with music. On average, people
performed more than twice as well on a verbal
fluency test after listening to music while
exercising than they did after exercising without
the music. There was no change in mental
alertness in people who didn’t listen to music.
To comprehend rhythm, the brain has to sort
out tone, timing and sequencing. This complex
endeavour fires up thebrain’s frontal lobe, which
is associated with mental agility associated with
abstract thinking and forward planning.
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
19BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
D.O. No. G-13013/1/2006-PG dt 05.05.06 fromPratyush Sinha, Secretary, Govt of India, Ministry
of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions,
North Block, New Delhi-110 001
One of the important obligations of public service
is the prompt redressal of public grievances and
identification of grievance prone areas of Government
Department in order to eliminate the causes of these
grievances of citizens. The Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievances have been issuing
guidelines from time to time in order to ensure that an
effective institutional mechanism is established in each
government department for the expeditious redress of
Public Grievances. Despite all these guidelines and
various efforts made by the State Governments,
complaints continue regarding the delay and lack of
response in handling public grievances. The
Parliamentary Standing Committee attached to the
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
has taken serious view of the state of affairs prevailing
in the matter of settlement of public grievances. It has
been pointed out that the response of the public
servants towards citizens’ grievances is lukewarm and
often borders on complete indifference.
2. Any grievance redress system would be failing
in its primary purpose if the minimum courtesy of
acknowledging receipt of a complaint is not observed.
It is, therefore, reiterated that an acknowledgement
should go immediately and at the most within three
days of the receipt of the grievance and the grievance
itself should be redressed within a maximum period of
two months of its receipt. The citizens approaching
the government departments with their grievance
petitions should be informed of the progress of his/her
grievance. In case it is not found feasible to accede to
his/her request, a reasoned reply may be issued to
the aggrieved citizen within this stipulated time limit.
Further, if the finalization of a decision on a particular
grievance is expected to take longer than two months,
an interim reply should invariably be sent.
3. I would request you to take suitable measures
in bringing about a change in the prevailing situation in
order to ensure that the grievances of the citizens are
settled expeditiously.
With regards,
BPS DEMAND CONCEDED :TIMELY REDRESSAL OF
GRIEVANCES - FIXATION OFTIME LIMIT AGREED TO
OM No. F.No.41/30/2011-P&PW(C) dt 13.01.12
from Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions
Deptt of Pension & PW, Lok Nayak Bhawan,
New Delhi, to All Nodal Officers of all Ministries/
Departments (Web Based Pensioners’ Portal)
Sub: To fix timeline for redressal of
grievances.
Sir/ Madam
As you are aware, that on line grievances of
pensioners are being fed through our application
CPENGRAMS available in the Pensioners’ Portal
maintained by Department of Pension &
Pensioners’ Welfare. It has, however, been felt
that that timely action has not been taken by
various Ministries/ Departments/ Organisations
for redressal of grievances and same remain
pending for unduly long periods. There is thus
need to sensitize the concerned officers dealing
with these grievances in your Department for
taking timely action on the grievances of
pensioners so that unnecessary delays could be
avoided. The regional offices and field officers,
wherever they exist also need to be sensitized in
this regard accordingly.
2. In this connection your attention is invited
to fix the time limit for timely redressal of
grievances as per the guidelines issued by
Department of AR&PG (copy enclosed). You are,
therefore, requested to please take necessary
action in this regard while keeping this Department
informed about it.
Yours faithfully
Tripti P. Ghosh, Director
YOUR BELIEFS
Don’t make you a better person
YOUR BEHAVIOUR
does Anonymous
GOI ORDERS
20 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
OM No. K-15011/1/2006-PG dt 22.05.06 from Govt
of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions, Deptt of Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances, Sardar Patel Bhawan, Sansad
Marg, New Delhi
Sub: Activating machinery for Redress of Public
Grievances
The undersigned is directed to refer to the
consolidated guidelines issued by the Department
of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
for prompt and effective redress of public
grievances. It has been emphasized that a fully
functional redress mechanism needs to be in place
in all Ministries of Government of India and in the
Department/Organizations under the Ministries for
expeditious redressal of public grievances. It has
further been emphasized that the system of
grievance redress mechanism should be well
publicized to ensure that the citizens are aware
of the system and can interact with the
Department to settle their grievances. However,
complaints still continue regarding the delays and
lack of response.
2. It is now reiterated that the following steps may
please be taken to ensure that the internal
grievance redress machinery is in order for prompt
redressal of grievances of citizens:-
(i) A grievance should be acknowledged
immediately and at the most within three days
of the receipt of the grievance. A grievance
should be redressed within a period of a
maximum of two months of its receipt. If
finalization of a decision on a particular grievance
is anticipated to take longer than two months,
an interim reply should invariably be sent.
(ii) In case it is not feasible to accede to the
request made in the petition, a reasoned reply
may be issued to the aggrieved citizen within
this stipulated time limit.
(iii) Grievances received in the Ministries may be
analyzed periodically at a senior level to
identify grievance prone areas of the Ministries/
Departments to adopt systemic changes to
eliminate the causes of grievances.
(iv) Wide publicity of the grievance mechanism
available in the Ministry and the names,
designation and address of Director of Public
Grievances may be given.
(v) The Director of Public Grievances of the
Ministries/Departments of Government of
India may call for the documents of the case
and take a decision with the approval of the
Secretary of the Ministry/Head of the
Department/Organization if a grievance is not
redressed within a period of three months.
(vi) Every Wednesday may be kept as meeting-
less day for the Directors of Public Grievances
for hearing the grievances of the citizens. The
feedback mechanism may be ensured for an
inbuilt mechanism to correct deficiencies.
(vii) In order to promote responsive administration,
the system of regular dialogue with user and
citizen groups on grievance redress mechanism
and service delivery may be strengthened.
(viii) The software (PGRAMS) developed by the
Department of Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances in consultation with
National Informatics Centre (NIC) for efficient
management of public grievances may be
installed in all Ministries/Departments of
Government of India.
(ix) The Department of Administrative Reforms
and Public Grievances with assistance from
NIC has been providing necessary training to
officers of different Ministries for better
handling of grievances through PGRAMS for
effective redressal of grievances of citizens.
All Ministries/Deptts are requested to strengthen the
Grievance Redress Mechanism to ensure effective
redressal of public grievances. Action taken on the
issues may be communicated to this Department.
Shyamalima Banerjee, Director (PG)Tele: 2374 5472
Directors of Grievances of, all Ministries/
Departments of Government of India
If men were angels,
no government would be necessary.
JAMES MADISON
GOI ORDERS
21BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
WHEN WILL MP COME UP AT PARWITH THE CENTRE?
Letter No. F9-1/2011/Rule/IV dt 13.10.2011,
from Govt of Madhya Pradesh, Finance Deptt,
Mantralaya, Bhopal
Sub: Sanction of dearness relief on thePension of the Pensioners of the Stateof Madhya Pradesh
The State Government had sanctioned 45%
dearness relief w.e.f. 01-04-2011 on pension /
family pension to their pensioners / family
pensioners vide Finance Department Memo No.
F9-l/2011/Rule/IV dated 01 April, 2011. The State
Government has now decided that the dearness
relief admissible to pensioners should be
sanctioned as given below. The additional pension
payable to the pensioners aged 80 years or above
shall also qualify for dearness relief.
Period Rate of DR per month
w.e.f.
01-10-2011
2. The above dearness relief shall be payable
on the Superannuation, Retiring, Invalid and
Compensation Pension. This dearness relief shall
also be payable on the Compassionate Allowance
sanctioned to service and the said dearness relief
shall also be payable to persons receiving family
pension and extra ordinary pension under the
restrictions contained in the Finance
Department’s Memo No. F.B. 6/43/76/R-II/IV dt
5.10.76. The dearness relief on the pension / family
pension shall not be payable in the cases where
the pensioners / family pensioners are appointed/
re-appointed under the State Government or
autonomous instituions. The relief on family
pension shall be payable in cases where a person
at the time of the death of the spouse was in
service and was not appointed on compassionate
grounds. This relief on family pension shall not
be payable in cases where a person on account
of the death of the spouse has been appointed on
compassionate grounds. In this connection
( 51% of Pension/family
pension for the month of
10.2011 paid in 11. 2011)
attention is invited to the provisions contained in
Finance Department’s Memo No. F.B. 6/10/76/
R-II/IV, dt 27.7.76 read with Memo No. No. F.B.6
/10/77/R-II/IV, dt 20.5.77 and Memo No. F-12-5/
2007/Rule/ IV dt 19.4.2007.
3. Pensioners, who have commuted a part of
their pension, shall be paid the dearness relief on
their original pension (pension before commutation).
4. This order shall be applicable in repsect of
State Government employees who had drawn lump
sum amount on absorption in PSU/Autonomous
body / Board / Corporation etc. and have become
eligible to restoration of 1/3rd commuted portion of
pension in terms of this Department’s Memo No.
F 9/9/2006/Rule/IV dt 05.01.2007.
5. Fraction of rupee of the amount to be paid as
dearness relief shall be rounded off to the next rupee.
6. All Treasury Officer / Sub Treasury Officers/
Pension Disbursing Officers are directed to make
payment of the above sanctioned dearness relief
to State Government Pensioners early, keeping
in view the amended provisions of S.R. 347 of the
M.P.T.C. Volume -1, issued vide Finance
Department’s endorsement No. E-4/ 1/83/R-V/IV,
dt 29th January, 1983.
After payment of dearness relief the same may
be got checked from the usiial payment authority
received from the Accountant General, Madhya
Pradesh. If some inaccuracy/discrepancy comes
to the notice, the same may be adjusted in the
payment on next month.
By order and in the name of the
Governor of Madhya Pradesh
MILIND WAIKER, Deputy Secretary
(Contd. from p.23)
month as per the provisions of the Employees’
Provident Fund Scheme, 1952 though such cards
are not provided to subscribers.
Courtesy : http://epaper.mailtoday.in/
Note : Vide its Petition No B P S / SG/ 2K11 /E P S - 1 9 9 5 Da t e d : 1 4 -0 7 - 2 0 11 to theM/O labour & employment BPS had pleadedfor `̀̀̀̀1400/ P.M. to be the minimum Pension
STATE ORDER
22 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
to it being routed in UP. Haunted as she will be
by a host of scams under her watch, Mayawati
should be more expedient than valorous to make
her 21 MPs coordinate with the Congress in New
Delhi. That’s the only way she can offset the
disadvantage of being out of power in UP.
This conspiracy of circumstances is scant
consolation for the Congress that has let go of its
best chance to win Punjab and resurrect its fortunes
in UP. Uttarakhand counts. But not all that much
in providing the political steroids that the UPA
needs to lift its sagging morale — which is linked
to its below par performance on the governance
and policy-making front. Unless it starts acting as
one coherent entity accommodative toward its
allies, the Congress leadership of the UPA is bound
to be under greater pressure from the likes of
Mamata Banerjee. Mayawati may lie low for a while.
But she’s no less difficult a customer than the
maverick Bengal chief minister.
On the organisational front, the Congress
desperately requires a personality transplant.
Rahul Gandhi’s UP campaign fell flat for want of a
robust party set-up and committed foot-soldiers.
Renegade candidatures spawned by rampant
cronyism in ticket distribution crippled its
challenge in Punjab. The blame for much of this
belongs to the Congress’ non-resident Punjabi
leaders who went on a self-aggrandisement spree
by patronising losers.
Rahul Gandhi has owned up responsibility for
the Congress debacle in UP and Amarinder Singh
in Punjab. But the mess-up was largely on account
of solo players pursuing individual gains in what
was meant to be a team effort.
The Congress’ defeat in UP has many
dimensions. But the absence of an efficient party
structure was one obvious reason for the goodwill
generated by Rahul Gandhi not translating into
votes. It can also be assumed in retrospect that
the experiment of handing over the party franchise
to sub-regional satraps cost the party dear in
Saharanpur and Barabanki. That the party could
not retain even half of the 100-odd assembly
Current Affairs
From UP to ‘UPA’How the mini General Elections (in 5 States)
would effect the UPA II @ the Centre?
by - Vinod Sharma
There are two ways of looking at the
Samajwadi Party’s spectacular victory in Uttar
Pradesh. It’s quite certainly a shot in the arm for
Mulayam Singh Yadav who, for the first time, has
a free hand in running the country’s most populous
state without any obligation to keep the UPA afloat
at the Centre. As UP sends 80 MPs to the Lok
Sabha, the SP could be tempted to disturb the
UPA applecart for a mid-term poll.
But the mandate comes with safety valves
against any such eventuality. The Muslim voter
wholeheartedly supported Mulayam to oust
Mayawati, not to topple the ‘secular’ UPA that
the SP backed in 2009 to keep the BJP at bay.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), on its part,
is down but not in the dumps, a place where the
BJP and the Congress find themselves. The
prognosis for the Manmohan Singh government,
currently enjoying the SP’s and the BSP’s outside
support, would have been different had the BJP
emerged as the principal opposition in the state.
That would have encouraged the saffron party to
go for the kill at the Centre, given that it has
wrested Goa from the Congress, has piggybacked
the Akalis to retain Punjab, and turned
Uttarakhand into a cliffhanger contest.
The results look good on paper for the party.
But they are really a dampener for the BJP, whose
legislative presence has been reduced in Punjab,
Uttarakhand and UP. It can celebrate but only
partially, with even Sushma Swaraj calling the
outcome a “mixed bag” for the party.
The less-than-promising individual tallies in
these states are a safeguard against any proactive
BJP offensive for mid-term polls. The BSP, too,
won’t bring another election upon itself so close
UP TO ‘UPA’
23BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
segments where it was ahead in the 2009 Lok
Sabha polls—that fetched it 21 seats — was a
veritable no-confidence in its sitting MPs.
What then could be the way forward for the
Congress and the coalition it leads at the Centre?
As charisma and family name alone do not suffice
in electoral politics, the Congress leadership has
to spend time to rebuild the part;’ while scouting
for credible regional faces. This model constituted
the plinth of the Congress’ ‘pan-Indian’ clout in
Jawaharlal Nehru’s days. Indira Gandhi replaced it
progressively by her personal appeal and charisma.
The Congress lacks the leadership that can in any
way match Indira Gandhi’s stature. But the Grand
Old Party has to reinvent itself by reverting to the
past. And it has to do so by working in concert
with allies without whose consent and backing the
UPA cannot push policies and programmes —
including legislative initiatives relating to food
security and land acquisition and compensation
— that can help it get over its current image of a
dysfunctional regime.
If the SP could regain power after the humiliating
2007 defeat by the BSP, why can’t the Congress?
Mulayam and his son Akhilesh have benefited from
the silent work on the ground through a strong party
machinery. It’s a model the Congress must
improvise and emulate. Decentralisation of
authority should be at the core of its work culture.
The views expressed by the author are personal
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
Sleep improves with ageContrary to common wisdom, sleep gets better with
age, with adults in their 80s getting better sleep than
any other age group. More than a person’s biological
age, a new study suggests, it’s factors like stress and
underlying depression or illness that tend to affect quality
of rest.
When such influences are taken out of the equation,
elderly adults aren’t any more likely to report sleep
problems than younger adults in their 20s and 30s,
shows a study done in the US, reports journal Sleep.
ANOTHER FEATHER FOR BPS CAP
Instead of `̀̀̀̀12, minimum pensionto be 1,000 to EPFO Pensioners
RETIREMENT fund body Employees’
Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) may take
a final decision on fixing the minimum pension
for its subscribers at ̀ 1,000 per month during a
meeting of the Central Board of Trustees ( CBT)
scheduled on February 22. EPFO’s apex
decision- making body CBT could fix minimum
pension at `1,000 per month for its subscribers
at a meeting this month, All India Trade India
Congress secretary D. L. Sachdev told reporters.
Sachdev, who is also an EPFO trustee, informed
that the proposal is listed on the agenda for the
CBT meeting. The trustee said that CBT will also
discuss the proposal to issue contribution cards
similar to bank passbooks to its over 4.72 crore
subscribers, which would be updated on monthly
basis from April 1.
According to EPFO data, as of March 31,
2010, there were 35 lakh pensioners who
subscribed to the retirement fund body, of which
14 lakh persons get a monthly pension of less
than `500. The number of EPFO pensioners
getting a monthly pension of ̀ 1,000 is seven lakh.
The data reveals there are cases where
pensioners are getting a monthly pension as low
as `12 and `38. As per estimates, the proposal
to hike the minimum pension to ̀ 1,000 per month
will need an additional contribution of 0.63 percent
of subscribers’ basic pay and dearness allowance
to pension account. The hike in contribution will
be over- and- above the 8.33 percent contributed
by employers towards the pension account of
employees as well as the 1.16 percent provided
by the government under the scheme.
The other important move of the retirement
fund body would be to start issuing contribution
cards similar to bank passbook from April this
year. At present, it is mandatory for the employers
to prepare ‘Contribution Cards’ and update it every
(Contd. on p.21)
MIN PENSION
24 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
2011 IN RETROSPECT
LOOK AHEAD IN WONDERIndia Can, India Will
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary
measures. It is time to look up from the bottom.
It is time we search new faces for change, writes
Rajesh Mahapatra
Step back, look again. 2011 won’t appear as
bad as it is made out to be. It may have been a
year of seams and scandals that eroded the
credibility of our institutions of governance and
democracy, but the unraveling of the misdeeds
also brought in its wake a louder campaign for
stronger laws against corruption. Even as the fate
of the Lokpal bill hangs in the balance, one could
argue that the campaign which saw millions of
Indians, especially the usually apathetic middle
class and the youth, take to the streets with Anna
Hazare - only strengthened the nation’s
democratic fabric.
Poetical squabbling kept parliament from doing
any business, leaving the country in the throes of
a, ‘policy paralysis’. But that hasn’t stopped the
Indian entrepreneur from showcasing talent — the
world’s cheapest tablet, Aakash, rolled out from
an Indian lab.
The India growth story paused alongside
spiralling inflation that might have pushed millions
back into poverty, but we have yet to see the
mood of despondency that is playing out in other
countries hit by the global economic turmoil.
2011 was a year of relative peace along our
national border; also a year that saw a sharp
decline in terror attacks and Maoist violence.
What more, we won the world cup in cricket after
a gap of 28 years.
That said, it would be naïve to ignore the
challenges that have compounded through 2011.
CHALLENGES ON HAND
Despite the much exalted growth of the broader
economy over the past decade, we are still a
country that is home to one-third of the world’s
poor. Millions of rural homes have never had
electricity and a third of the population can’t read
or write. Health and education indicators have
stubbornly shown no signs of improvement. The
UN Human Development Report, 2011 ranks India
at 134 out of 187 countries — in the company of
countries such as Ghana and Equatorial Guinea.
Even as the prosperity earned by a 300 million-
plus, and growing Middle class has made India a
top destination for global investors and
manufacturers, a majority of its population has
been living on the margins. Such growing
inequality and unfulfilled aspirations of a vast
population will not necessarily always manifest
in peaceful protests, as it did the past year.
A weak government and a weakening economy
only make it worse. India’s limited dependence
on the global market — exports account for less
than a fifth of its GDP — and a well-regulated
financial system somewhat insulate it from the
precipitating crisis in Europe. But should the world
economy slip into a recession, as many experts
fear, the ripples will be felt harder. Unlike 2008
when the government stepped in with large doses
of fiscal stimulus and helped the economy revive
in less than a year, this time the exchequer has
no money for a bail-out.
A bigger concern, as Bharti Enterprises
chairman, Sunil B Mittal, points out in his essay
in this year-ahead special, is that the political
consensus that backed the government’s
initiatives in 2008 is missing this time. This was
evident in the way the government was forced to
roll back its decision to open multi-brand retail to
foreign investment. On the other hand, the ever-
widening net of the 2G scam probe has unnerved
the bureaucracy and made the government
indecisive at a time when it is expected to make
bold decisions.
In all likelihood, the country is headed for a
slowdown that will be prolonged and a political
crisis that could only get worse in the time to
come. But if there is despair, there is also hope.
(Cont @ p.17)
2011
25BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
Illicit Money vs Licit Money
A BLOT ON DEMOCRACYby Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Voters came out in droves in the 2012
assembly elections. We should not let the
extensive use of black money overshadow this
positive development
Let us be proud. Five states went to the polls
last month. The voter turnout was extraordinary.
That of women voters, specially so.
All these facts are not only well-known by now;
they are axioms. But stand them against facts
that have come in from another election.
Compare those results with the reports of the
presidential election in Russia. At Precinct 451,
Vladimir Putin got 1,482 votes, Gennady
Zyuganov1. Statistically improbable, the result
became even more controversial when it turned
out that more people had voted than there were
registered voters in that segment. There was a
voter turnout of 107%. The turnout in Chechnya
was 99.59%, with 99.82% of voters voting for Putin,
0.04% for Zyuganov, the runner-up. I would like to
believe the Russian elections were free and fair.
I would really like to, for I believe Putin’s Russia
is not Brezhnev’s Soviet Union.
We do remember the 2000 presidential
elections in the US. We particularly remember
how Florida voted, how the Florida Supreme Court
ordered a third re-count, which the US Supreme
Court reversed. The world has not forgotten that
although he received 543,895 fewer individual votes
than Al Gore nationwide, George Bush was
declared elected president of the United States
of America. We can be proud.
The voters have won, voting has won. But the
‘man of the match’ is the Election Commission
(EC) of India.
The EC represented principally by the Chief
Election Commissioner, S Y Quraishi, and the
team of officials working without fear or favour —
and with fervour — under the EC’s umbrella,
delivered transparently clean elections in this
theatre of violence and intrigue. They are not just
winners, but heroes. But we cannot gloat. And
there is a reason why we cannot. For there is a
side player in our elections of whom we cannot
be proud. Of whom we are to be ashamed. And
‘he’ is that perfect scalawag called illegal money
or black money. Victories as emphatic as the
Congress’ in Manipur, the SP’s in UP and the
BJP’s in Goa are not won by money, white or
black. They are won by voter-opinion. But the
scalawag called black money has been around
candidates, hovering round them, sometimes
being waved off, but ever so often settling on them.
According to one estimate, till February 5 in
UP alone, the EC nabbed `32 crore of
unaccounted cash, ̀ 12.3 crore from Punjab, ̀ 1.35
crore from Uttarakhand, `47 lakh from Manipur
and ̀ 36 lakh from Goa.
Elections now do not mean the spending of
crores, but of multiples of crores.
When I read those figures, I was reminded of
an election episode in UP of 75 years ago.
It has been recounted by Lal Bahadur Shastri
in a 1959 tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru:
“The general elections under the new
Government of India Act took place in 1937; they
were of great significance. In these elections
Nehru played a very important role. I remember
his visit to the district of Allahabad. It was about
8.30 pm when he finished his speech... Nehru
had taken no tea in the afternoon and... he was
feeling very hungry. He asked me whether there
was any restaurant in the city... I remembered
the railway station where some tea could be got.
He said: “Let us go there.” We motored to the
railway station and went to the railway restaurant...
After having taken the tea we were asked to pay
the bill. Everyone of us searched his pockets
and found that none of us carried sufficient money.
Between us we could collect about ̀ 2.50. Nehru
had about a `1.25. Purnima Banerjee another
rupee and I gave the few annas to complete the
full amount required. How awkward would it have
LICIT MONEY
26 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
been if we had failed to make up the amount
among ourselves!”
Seventy-five years is not all that long ago. That
is, we are not talking of the 1800s. And we are
talking of people whose names are invoked in
today’s election campaigns.
Money played a part in elections even then,
but by and large it was licit money, modest money.
It was money, not the monster called black money.
In 1957, Tata Iron & Steel Co wanted to change
their Memoranda of Association in order to allow
the company to make contributions to political
parties. The matter went to court. Justices MC
Chagla and ST Desai ruled in the Bombay High
Court allowing the change but with weighty obiter.
Their comments are memorable. They said (and I
quote): “The very basis of democracy is the voter
and when in India we are dealing with adult suffrage
it’s even more important than elsewhere.. that the
integrity of the voter is also safeguarded... Before
parting with this case, we think it our duty to draw
the attention of Parliament to the great danger
inherent in permitting companies to make
contributions to the funds of political parties. It is
a danger which may grow apace and which may
ultimately overwhelm and even throttle democracy
in this country. Therefore, it is desirable for
Parliament to consider under what circumstances
and under what limitations companies should be
permitted to make these contributions.”
The late Indrajit Gupta chaired a committee to
study the impact of company donations on
elections. The time for another study — and action
— has come. Black money from elsewhere, with
a drugs and arms nexus, not company donations,
is now the culprit. Such an initiative led by
someone of the stature of Fali Nariman or N R
Narayana Murthy is urgently needed.
Among many lasting images of the elections
just concluded will be that of two earnest young
men straining every nerve to win the people’
confidence in UP, of women queueing up to vote,
freely, fairly and, hopefully, independently of their
husbands. And of voters in Manipur defying
blockades and insurgency to vote. They do us
proud.
That known depredator, ‘KD’ or ‘kala dhan’,
must not let shame sickly over this pride.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi is a former administrator,
diplomat and governor
The views expressed by the author are personal
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ2/13A, LGF, Jangpura - ‘A’ New Delhi-14
To,
The Secretary, Govt. of India,
Ministry of Personnel, PG& Pensions,
Deptt. Of Pension & PW
New Delhi.
Sub: Item No.9.16 of minutes of SCOVA meeting
held on 21.09.2011 - Merger of 19 P&T
Dispensaries with CGHS
Sir,
I am to refer item No. 9.16 referred to above
(copy enclosed) and to say that the representative
of M/O Health and FW told the SCOVA that
merger of 19 P&T Dispensaries in 12 cities is
under active consideration .
It is however, found that, even after nearly six
months the matter still remains under consideration.
In fact the matter has being under
consideration for more than 3 years now. Many
meetings have, during this period, been held
between the M/o Health and FW and the Deptt.
Of Post s, M/o Commns. & IT; still actual merger
has been delayed for one reason or another. Even
the decision to merge CGHS Dispensary at
Jammu with P&T Dispensary , which was agreed
to between them, has not been effected on the
ground level.
We earnestly appeal to you to take up this
matter urgently with the Ministries concerned
with a view to expediting their actual merger
without any further delay.
Shyam Sunder, Secy Genl, BPS
LETTER TO GOI
27BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
AAP AUR HUMACTIVITY REPORTS FROM OUR
AFFILIATESRENEWAL: Please remember to renew your
subscription (Rs.450) whether due this month or
the next.
SEND DIRECT: Please send your reports (in
English) direct to the Editor, BPS –
D Jayaraman, Flat no-23, Plot no-3, Sector 7,
Dwarka, New Delhi -110075.
Please send your reports (in Hindi) to: R N
Tripathi, Sr VP, (BPS), L-21, Lakshmi Nagar, Delhi-
110092.
Add ID: Please quote your ID (mailing number and
pin code number) while writing to BPS, New Delhi
(Reports received without your ID, mailing no/ Pin
code no may not be taken up for publication).
AHMEDABAD: BSNL & DOT Pensioners’ Assn– Vadodara Telecom Dt 1st Get-together was held
on 01.03.12. More than 350 pensioners attended
the function. J B Kumpavat, Wkg President and A
N Patel explained in detail the functioning of BDPA
at Ahmedabad. D D Mistry dwelt upon the crusade
of Pension Revision and subsequent struggle/
hurdles in achieving its implementation.
26th Get-together of BDPA was held on
17.02.12. President, Wkg President and Gl Secy
addressed the gathering and briefed it on the
progress made on restoration of Medical
Allowances without voucher, merger of 78.2% IDA,
Anomaly of October 2000, one increment for Gr
IV and other issues. A seminar was held on eye-
care by Dr Dipan Desai, DIVA Health Care and
on women’s diseases by Dr Aava Desai.
DINDIGUL (TN): Rly Pensioner’s WelfareAssn – Meeting was held on 05.02.12. About 100
members participated in the meeting. D
Krishnamurthy, Zonal Secy, NFRP briefed about
the latest news received from BPS, New Delhi.
14 resolutions on long pending demands of
pensioners were passed unanimously.
PATIALA: Sr Citizens Assn – Meeting was
held on 01.02.12. Members expressed their
hearty thanks to Shri Shyam Sunder, Secy Gl of
BPS, for taking up the early implementation of
CAT decision in favour of pre-01.01.06 pensioners
with the concerned Hon’ble Minister of the Central
Govt. Mrs Neeru Kansal, President, Women
Welfare Organisation, DMW, Patiala visited
‘APNA GHAR’ on 25.01.12 to ascertain the
unresolved problems of the Sr Citizen.
YAMUNA NAGAR (Haryana): TelecomPensioner’s Welfare Assn – They have
submitted a letter to the concerned Central
Minister seeking provision of outdoor and indoor
medical treatment for pensioners who retired
before October 2000 and were residing in the Non-
CGHS area of Yamuna Nagar as also
enhancement of FMA.
AAP AUR HUM
(Cont from p.31 )
After considering certain contingencies such as
inflation effects or working conditions and listening
to the claims of Employees’ Trade Unions and
Pensioners Associations, the Central Pay
Commission gives its recommendations. Each of
these recommendations is carefully examined by
a group of ministers who either accept or reject it.
The Sixth Central Pay Commission, which gave
its recommendations in 2008, set 31st of December
2005 as a cut-off date which set new rules for pre
and post retirees. Based on this dividing date, two
different policies were developed to consolidate and
revise the Pension Program. This created wide gaps
as those who retired before the 31st of December
2005 from the same post with same seniority, and
same pay scale are now getting much less pension
than those who retired or will retire after 31
December 2005, creating therefore a strong
resentment among over 5,000,000 pensioners.
Dr. Gangadharan, provided those present with
an overview of the Draft National Policy of Senior
Citizens 2011 which is awaiting approval of the
Central Government of India. After long discussions,
the Conference adopted 24 resolutions expressing
vital grievances of pensioners.
28 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012AAP AUR HUM
29BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012 AAP AUR HUM
30 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
NEW MEMBERS - Whole LifeWL - 9372 Harchadan Singh Chandigarh
NEW MEMBERS - Annual
A - 1137 R H Rajyaguru BVN 01/13
A - 1139 V Sain Bajaj DDN 01/13
A - 1141 K N Pandey DDN 01/13
A - 1142 AVG Krishna Vishakapatnam 01/13
A - 1143 Dr. Hari B Prasad Jharkhand 01/13
A - 1144 Sawan Kumar Bhanjakia 01/13
A - 1145 Manohar Lal ASR 01/13
A - 1146 M P Pathak DL - 34 01/13
A - 1147 B Mukherji DL - 62 01/13
A - 1148 J N Patni DL - 87 01/13
A - 1149 Y R Malik GZB 01/13
A - 1150 C B Gamit AM 01/13
A - 1152 A S Gupta DL - 92 01/13
A - 1153 B Bhushan Gupta DL - 55 01/13
A - 1154 Vinay Seth MRT 01/13
A - 1156 R S Mukherjee Kolkata 01/13
A - 1157 M L Dhingra DL - 91 01/13
A - 1158 L C Rajpal DL - 24 01/13
A - 1159 Y S Singh Imphal 01/13
A - 1160 P Deven Singh Imphal 01/13
NEW MEMBERS - TriennialA - 1161 Dewan C Batra DL- 24 01/15
NEW AFFILIATED ASSOCIATIONSA - 1138 Humera Huseeb Bareilly 01/13
A - 1140 R R E A Sonebhadra 01/13
A - 1151 Govt Pensioners Assn Barsoighat 01/13
A - 1155 NE Calcutta CGPA Kolkata 01/13
SCPC FUND Donations JANUARY, 2012L - 2560 : M N Kaul (Akhun) GGN 500/-
A - 0283 : Gur Saroop Joshi DL - 75 400/-
L - 9152 : Gauri Shankar DL - 68 300/-
M - 4842 : P Ranga Rao AP 200/-
A - 0859 : R S Gothani Betul 200/-
A - 0225 : A Pattabhi Vijayawada 200/-
L - 9240 : C R Choudhry Kurkshetra 100/-
L - 9206 : J S Nagi Tatanagar 100/-
M - 4546 : O P Khullar Amloh 50/-
A - 0486 : S Banarjee Haridwar 30/-
M - 5067 : S Rajarao Rajahmundry 25/-
A - 0696 : K C S Negi DL - 75 20/-
M - 7644 : K L Malhotra Noida 20/-
AFFILIATED ASSOCIATIONS (RENEWAL)M - 6758 : P & S C W Assn Banglore 08/12
M - 1349 : Retd Rly Empls Assn Bhilai 08/13
M - 4210 : Rly & C G Penrs Assn Guntur 01/13
M - 0197 : Pensioners Assn Bhilwara 03/13
M - 1279 : Bina Rly Penrs Samaj Bina 02/13
A - 0271 : A I R R F Guntakal 02/13
M - 5078 : Rtd Emplys W Assn Hamirpur 02/13
M - 0092 : Penrs Welfare Samaj DL - 29 01/13
M - 3084 : Govt Penrs Assn Dehradun 02/13
M - 5953 : C G P A Sriganganagar 03/13
M - 6346 : C G Penrs Assn Howrah 02/13
M - 8499 : Tele Penrs W Assn Yamunanagar 02/13
M - 6086 : C G P A Patna 07/13
M - 8275 : Retd. Rly Empls Assn Kolkata 12/12
A - 0908 : R R Empls Penrs Assn Bhilai 02/13
M - 6937 : A/cs G O Penrs Assn Hyderabad 04/12
M - 3750 : Rajya Penrs Samaj Jamtara 01/13
M - 6625 : N F R P Assn Silchar 02/13
M - 4670 : G & S Govt R E Assn Rabkhavi 03/15
M - 6545 : Haryana G P Assn Chandigarh 11/12
M - 5222 : C G Penrs Assn Jammu 04/13
RENEWAL - AnnualM - 7640 : K L Venkatarathnam Nagpur 01/13
M - 5053 : K K Gupta Jaipur 01/13
M - 4546 : O P Khullar Amloh 01/13
M - 8631 : D A Sarma Ponnur 02/13
A - 0621 : VP Bhoraskar Indore 02/13
A - 0907 : D K Surange Gwalior 02/13
A - 0283 : Gur Saroop Joshi DL - 75 02/13
M - 7170 : T Koteswara Rao Meerpet 01/13
A - 0615 : Pritam Singh Amritsar 02/13
A - 0490 : K N Rao Bilaspur 09/12
M - 7307 : L Subbarayudu Hyderabad 02/13
A - 0825 : Mohd Abdul Kafi Aligarh 10/12
M - 6888 : Nizamuddin Aligarh 02/13
M - 6587 : D H L N Rao Guntakal 01/13
M - 4645 : Dr. P C Kapoor Bikaner 03/13
A - 0293 : Md Mahboob Ali Dronakal 02/13
M - 6923 : S M Sharma Sahibabad 03/13
M - 8866 : J Chander Parai Krishnagar 02/13
M - 6586 : P Paul Peter Madurai 01/13
A - 0281 : G Subramani Chennai 02/13
M - 8630 : A S N Murthy Tuni 02/13
M - 5092 : O P Gulati M Govindgarh 02/13
M - 5917 : Amiya Das Gupta Bishnupur 03/13
M - 8247 : L P Singh Khandwa 12/12
M - 8264 : M L Prashar Harda 12/12
M - 5840 : Revat Lal Arora Jwalapur 02/13
A - 0607 : R M Patnik Bilaspur 02/13
M - 8857 : R Seshagiri Rao Salem 02/13
M - 5872 : Naresh Sharma Bhandara 02/13
M - 7343 : K N Venkhatram Chennai 03/13
M - 7308 : K Janardhanarao Dowlaishwara 02/13
A - 0609 : P Chatterjee Belgharia 02/13
M - 8025 : N S Patil Dharwad 03/12
M - 3951 : Dr L N Sharma (MD) Rajkot 02/13
M - 8867 : M Pandu Ranga Rao Tenali 02/13
M - 8254 : G V Jayapaul Nellore 12/12
M - 5888 : Jai Gobind Singh Kishanganj 02/13
M - 5841 : D C Bhatla Bikaner 02/13
THANKS!
31BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
M - 7997 : D N Bahl FBD 02/13
M - 7672 : A K Banga DL - 14 02/13
A - 0209 : Udham Singh Jalandhar 01/13
M - 8666 : Roop Ram FBD 04/12
M - 5793 : B B L Bhatnagar DL - 91 01/13
M - 4266 : Mahanbir Singh Patiala 03/13
M - 5796 : H V Singh Sriganganagar 01/13
A - 0567 : Ram Naresh Prasad Arrah 01/13
A - 0021 : A Nath Ghosal Shibpur 06/12
A - 0933 : K Ramalingam Hyderabad 03/13
A - 0905 : S N Awasthi Jhansi 02/13
A - 0921 : P S Shrotiya Tundla 03/13
M - 8010 : K Bala Babu Rajahmundry 02/13
M - 8580 : J P Jaiswal Satna 01/13
M - 8008 : M S Gurjar Ahmedabad 02/13
M - 7613 : Charan Dass Jammu Tawi 12/12
M - 7665 : Jago Mistri Ghogha 02/13
M - 8320 : Sharad Kr V Sarang Nasik 02/13
A - 0610 : A R Hazara Assam 02/13
A - 0274 : B S Shaik Kodur 02/13
M - 6504 : M S Dahima DL - 88 09/12
A - 0304 : S N Gupta DL - 92 02/13
A - 0295 : J K Bhattacharjee Kolkata 02/13
M - 4638 : Jagjit Singh DL - 85 02/13
M - 4920 : Kharaiti Ram FBD 11/12
M - 4956 : S J Choudhary Garh Nokha 11/12
M - 7691 : A S Saxena DL - 17 03/13
M - 6614 : L P Mishra, G/Secy Varanasi 01/13
A - 0798 : M S Sharma DL - 32 09/12
M - 6630 : Amar Nath DL - 24 03/13
M - 3089 : B Singh Chohan FBD 02/13
M - 6835 : K Ganguly Shantiniketan 12/12
M - 8055 : P S R Kumar Sinha Bhimavaram 04/13
M - 4930 : Basant Kumar Vijh Jaipur 10/12
M - 6890 : Sant Kumar DL - 43 02/13
M - 8871 : N K Bhalla DL - 88 02/13
M - 7771 : Padmini Mathur DL - 57 06/13
M - 4632 : W R Sehgal DL - 26 02/13
A - 0642 : M M Lal DL - 85 03/13
M - 8578 : Prithvi Raj Wadhwa DL - 60 01/13
A - 0534 : Samarendra Nath Kar Kolkata 11/12
BiennialA - 0563 : K P Mirajgaonkar Goa 01/14
A - 0902 : J Thomas Chennai 02/14
A - 0696 : K C S Negi DL - 75 04/13
M - 7644 : K L Malhotra Noida 01/13
TriennialM - 5598 : J P Vishwakarma Indore 11/13
M - 4243 : K K Sood Siliguri 03/15
M - 8028 : Nirmal Kanta Jaitly DL - 92 03/15
A - 0166 : K D Jha DL - 17 11/14
M - 5022 : S K Abdul Ghani Khandwa 12/14
M - 5102 : N S Verma DL - 92 02/15
M - 7193 : Er M C Gupta DDN 01/15
RENEWAL
BPS in international News !International Federation on Ageing has
published the following “News item” in their‘e. newsletter’ – December 2011; circulated
all over the world
India - Bharat Pensioners Samaj (Federation)Fight for the Rights of Retirees
IFA members since June 2005, Bharat
Pensioners Samaj (BPS) was established in 1955
and is based in New Delhi. BPS is the apex body
of all Central Government Pensioners with more
than 375000 members through Associations,
Federations and Individuals from across the country.
At this year’s Annual General Body meeting held
on 4 November 2011, Dr. K.R. Gangadharan, IFA
Board Member and Regional Vice President for
Asia, was honored to be the Chief Guest.
BPS is a member of the Government of India
Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies
(SCOVA), fighting to highlight pension and health
related grievances of pensioners and seeking
redress through negotiations and discussions to
implement Government policies for the welfare of
Pensioners.
As part of its mandate and role, BPS publishes
a monthly Journal, organizes National level
Conventions, Annual General Meetings of its
affiliates and provides support to members. Activity
and accounting reports were presented and four
associations were rewarded for their work (this year
it was AICGPA PUNE, BSNL & DOT Pensioners
Association Gujarat circle Ahemdabad, DAPWA
Chandigarh and RSCWS Mohali).
Shyam Sunder, Secretary General BPS, while
presenting his report, expressed concern and
disappointment over the continued indifferent attitude
of the Government of India towards pre 1 January
2006 Pensioners.
Every ten years the Government of India
appoints a Central Pay Commission to investigate
on pay and allowance, medical facilities, and
pensions of its employees and past employees.
(Contd @ p.27)
32 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
COMPENDIUM ON PENSION, CGHS &MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR CENTRAL
GOVT AND BSNL PENSIONERS
A copy of the Compendium on Pension, CGHS
& Medical Facilities for Central Govt and BSNL
Pensioners (7th Edition : revised upto Nov, 2011)
has just been received here. The book is very
informative. It contains information about govern-
ment policy on pension and relevant government
orders on the subject, particularly in the context
of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. It
contains the latest position on Central Govt
Pension, BSNL Pension, CGHS, BSNL-MRS,
writing of will and a small writer - on Geriatric
diseases. The book will be a very useful refer-
ence material for the pensioners as also those
who are now retiring.
We highly appereciate the pains Karnataka P
& T Pensioners’ Association have taken to bring
out the latest edition.
The book is modestly priced @` 200/-. It is
available from :
BOOK CENTRE
Sundara Yogsala Building, 32, Payappa
Garden, Queens Road Cross, Near Sanjevani
Shivajinagar, Bengaluru - 560 051
or
THE S S BOOK EMPORIUM#428-38/1, “Kamalalaya”
4th Main , 2nd Cross, Srinagara,
Bengaluru - 560 050
u tk;rs fez;rs ok dnkfpu~ uk;a HkwRok Hkfork ok u Hkw;%Avtks fuR;% “kk”orks·;a iqjk.kks u gU;rs gU;ekus “kjhjsAAThe Atmaa (Soul) neither takes birth nor dies in
any period. He (The Atmaa) has never taken birth,
nor he takes birth neither he will take birth. He is
UNBORN, ETERNAL, PRIMEVAL, without any
begining and without any end. He does not
perish even after the body is perished. He is
imperishable (AVINAASHEE)
Srimad Bhagwad Geeta2/20
BOOK REVEIW
You and the CountrymenYour brethren you have treated with disrespect.
You have denied them their simple human rights.
You have made them stand and wait before you,
and not given them a place in your affection.
You must share with them all, their ignominy.
You have made of your neighbour an untouchable.
You have offended that of God to every man.
If famine visits your land - like the wrath of God,
You shall have to break your crumbs with the poorest.
You must share with them all, their ignominy.
From your high seat you have cast them down.
With them was overthrown all your power.
There it grovels in the dust of the depressed
if you must save yourself, descend to their depth.
You must share with them all, their ignominy.
Those you trample underfoot, drag you down.
Further backward they recede, the less you advance.
Shut off the light of knowledge from them
and a blind wall separates you from their well-being.
You must share with them all, their ignominy.
Long has your nation’s shame weighed you down,
But you refuse still to worship the cod in man
Bend your head of pride for a while and
behold Him in the dust where the lowliest lie.
You must share with them all, their ignominy.
Do you not see the courier of death at your door, ready to
brand his stigma on the highest brow?
If in arrogance you shun your fellow-men and
remain withdrawn in your selfish vaunt, then,
in the ashes of a vast cremation pyre.
You shall share with them all, their ignominy.
- RABINDRANATH TAGORE
33BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
Four things the FM needsto address in Budget 2012
by - Yashwant Sinha, MP(former Finance Minister in NDA Govt)
There are four things that finance minister
Pranab Mukherjee must do in Budget 2012. The
starting point, of course, must be fiscal
consolidation. The budget Fiscal Responsibility
and Budget Management Act of Parliament
passed in our time was thrown out of window by
the UPA. As far as the economic crises goes,
my take is that it was more importantly the
elections in India which led to that bonanza of
2008-09 budget. In absolute numbers, the fiscal
deficit that year was allowed to go up ̀ 2,10,000
crore in one year. If you push that much of money
in one year, it is alarming. The government very
conveniently used the umbrella of the global
financial crisis to take liberties with the fiscal
deficit. If you look at the stimulus, they merely
reduced excise duties. The rest of it was nothing
but election-oriented expenditure, like 6th Pay
Commission, farmers’ debt waivers, and increased
allocation on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee.
All this resulted in huge consumption
expenditure. And when you have consumption
expenditure of this volume, it’s bound to have an
impact on inflation. All this could have been easily
predicted. Any economist who would have studied
the subject in higher secondary would have told
you that if you run a fiscal deficit of this kind,
especially on consumption expenditure side and
not on investment expenditure side – which
cannot be rolled back once crises are over year
on year – will put pressure on prices. Inflation will
go up. As a result, the Reserve Bank of India will
have to increase interest rates and liquidity. The
current slowdown of GDP growth to 6.1% is on
this account.
Second, he must correct the near complete
neglect of housing by the government – the
immediate impact of higher interest rate and
liquidity squeeze – which had an adverse impact
on the sector.
Globally, the housing sector has been
recognised as one of the strongest triggers of
economic activity. Our government recognised and
encouraged it. Despite the high inflation we
experienced in the past four years, for instance,
rebate for housing interest in income tax stays at
`1.5 lakh, which was fixed by us 10 years ago.
This must be revised. He must also come with a
package of fresh incentives for individual house
owners and real estate developers.
Third, the finance minister needs to catalyse
infrastructure like national highways, rural roads,
freight corridors. We need more toll roads. The
government must carry out study on areas and
projects that are commercially viable. Railways,
ports, mini airports and petroleum are among the
areas that need attention. As far as PSUs are
concerned, there is a well-defined concept of
internal rate of return that tells us whether a project
is viable for the next 12-15 years. Here, the
government’s responsibility should be confined
to merely to provide seed capital through special
purpose vehicle (SPV). We must start using
SPVs even for construction of private multi-storied
buildings, so you can delink them from not only
the government’s budget but also from the parent
company.
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
BUDGET
SMILE TO LOOK YOUNGER
The simple act of smiling takes years
off your age, say German researchers.
Not just the temporary wrinkles created
by smiling make it more difficult to judge
a person’s age, people who look happy
are perceived attractive in others ways as
well, including being younger than they
are.
Courtesy : Hindustan Times
34 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
KOLAVERI DI, FDI &PENSION (PFRDA) BILL
Retail FDi, Retail FDi, Kolaveri Di, Save Di, SaveDi, Kolkata Di Di, Govt Servant Di,ABC Di, in Lokpal Di, iphone Di, iphone Di,Kolaveri Di. Lokpal Di, in parliament Di,No, No parliament Di, in Lok Pal Di,But parliamentarians are in Lok Pal Di!Afzal Guru is alive Di But parliament is hanged Di !!!
An unprecedented global virus like musical tune,
has caught young and middle aged male and female
in millions from New York to Tokyo within a short
time through internet. The tune ‘Kolaveri Di’ was
sung by an upcoming Tamil actor, Dhanush which
was part of a Tamil Movie yet to be released which
is produced by Aiswarya, wife of Dhanush and
daughter of famous Tamil actor Rajnikanth.
However, these facts were not the reasons for its
popularity which is very difficult to explain.
In North India, people call anybody with
respect adding ‘Ji’ after their names. But among
Tamilians, when two intimate close friends
converse, where respect is not necessary, spoiling
the intimacy, they use the word ‘Da’ (Mk) or ‘Di’(Mh)
among the boys and girls respectively. These
suffixes are added not after the names but after a
command or order or short worded information.
“Kolaveri” means “Murderous Rage Instinct”. ‘Di’
here means it is addressed to a girl in second
person singular. Rejected ‘love’ turned as ‘hate’
goes to the extent of feeling to ‘kill’ the jilted lover.
The song is a mixture of English and Tamil
words. Though the critics in Tamil Nadu had
condemned the theme of the song, it is proved
that Rock Music cares for tune and not for words
or language. So much explanation is necessary
for gullible retirees who might not have gone to
cinema theatres or not seeing movies in small
screens. There is so much difficulty in
understanding modern e-generations by bygone
generation. But mobile phones turned as quick
propaganda weapons which bring modern people
together so quickly both for good and bad purposes.
What is good for one is bad for another. Popularity
of the seemingly welcome - uprising in Middle East
to remove despots or in support of Anna movement
in India -are all due to cell phone internet. That is
why Hon. Shri Kapil Sibal representing ruling class
in India is in a haste to ban selective objectionable
free internet communications in India under
the present explosive situation in politics. What is
good elsewhere is bad for India, FDI may be good
for West or in some other parts in East also; but
may not be good for India. We are afraid whether
Rupee is being devalued so much by any Western
game plan as it happened in Russia in the past.
Now India need not pass FDI in Parliament. Ruling
parties and opposition parties need not fight to hide
or reveal the Black Money in billions of dollars in
Tax Heavens. All these hidden wealth in dollar
will come back to India due to devaluation of rupee.
We will have to only increase the work in currency
printing press due to devaluation of rupee and
increasing deficit in budget. Nice way to globalize
India. For, e.g., hair cutting charges will become
Rs. 1000/- as it is in America instead of Rs. 40/-
as in India till now. But mind you! For more salaries
for salaried people and for more pensions for the
diminishing number of pensioners as cost of living
goes up, you will have to come together in big
number through use of mobile phones and internets
as “Kolaveri Di” success shows.
On 25 th November 2011, a mammoth
gathering of serving Central Govt. Employees and
central Pensioners in Delhi was marching from
Jantar Mantar to the parliament house to submit
a Charter on many pending demands like
scrapping of Pension Bill and New Pension
Scheme, removal of Anomalies due to Pay
Commissions, etc.
Many of us may forget that Old Pension
Scheme was removed with effect from 01.01.2004
for all Civil Central Govt Employees who joined
subsequently. On the contrary, Members of
Parliament (M.Ps) got for themselves not only
pension but also family pension benefits. It is
worth really to remember that eligible dependent
family pensioner will have a condition of a total of
Rs. 3500/- as income ceiling from all sources to
get that family pension. Again on the contrary,
MPs having wealth worth, hundreds of crores of
rupees are not barred from receiving family pension
benefits........Kolaveri Di !!!
Courtesy : K V Raghavendran, AERWA, Navi Mumbai
KOLAVERI DI
35BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
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D R FOR PENSIONERS
Aug-11 Sep-11 Oct-11 Nov - 11 Dec-11 Jan-12
All India CPI (IW) 194 197 198 199 197 198Base 2001=100
12 Month Average 60.82% 62.12% 63.35% 64.56% 65.43% 66.15%
7% increase wef 1.1.12. Orders awaited.Contributed by : J N Uppal, Dy Director (Retd), CSO,
Min of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
C-26, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar-IV, New Delhi - 110 024 - Tel : 2644 8938 (R)
06.02.2012 1. Right Inset - D R Singh
2. Left to RightR P Sharma
A P Shukla
Sitaram Vishwakarma
Asharam Patel
Goyal Vishwakarma
G C Jha
Madansingh Chandel
Tikaram
A Appu
Tularam
Mukandila
K P Yadav
R S Thakur
A P Sharma
N P Sen
Arsik Husain
Retirement means life : Life begins at retirement- Anonymous
DR
36 BHARAT PENSIONER
March 2012
BHARAT PENSIONER : Registered with Registrar of Newspapers for India vide
No. R. N. DELBIL/2006/17678
BOOK POST/PRINTED MATTER : Posted at N.D.P.S.O., Com. Indrajit Gupta Marg, New Delhi -110 002 on 15 / 16 March, 2012
If undelivered, please return to : BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ, Post Box No. 3303, Jangpura P.O., New Delhi - 110014
Printer & publisher : Shyam Sunder for Secy Genl, Bharat Pensioners Samaj.
Printed at Compudata Services, 42, DSIDC Shed, Scheme-I, Okhla-II, New Delhi - 11 00 20 (printers) from
(place of publication) 2/15-B, Hospital Road, Jangpura-A, New Delhi - 110 014
e-mail : [email protected] Editor (for the purpose of the Act) : Y C Rai.
March 2012
web site : www.bharatpensioner.org
Postal Regd No DL(S)-01/3274/2012-14Licence No U(SE)-18/2012-14to post without pre-payment
BHARAT PENSIONERS SAMAJ : Zindabad!NO PAINS : NO GAINS
Nothing achieved without struggleGovt of India is rejecting every just demand of Pensioners.
Sr Vice Prez, R N Tripathi with Secy Genl
“Rail Pensioners March to New Jalpaiguri”Join us at New Jalpaiguri Rly Institute
on 29.03.2012 to launch struggle for your rightsContact:
BIMALENDU CHAKRABORTY,Mob.08016135182,Tel: 0353 2592331,2562545 e.mail: [email protected]
Postal address:Bimalendu Chakraborty, working chairman reception committee,
Office of the N.F. Railway Pensioners Association;NJP Gate Bazar, P.O. Bhaktinagar, (W B) Pin-734007
Shyam Sunder, Secy GenlBharat Pensioners Samaj
S C Maheshwari, Secy (Rly Pensioners)Bharat Pensioners Samaj