Budget is pro-corporates in essence and cosmetics to people!

 

Budget 2023 – Election Budget?

Budget 2023 presented in Parliament today (01.02.2023) is hailed by some as the ‘Election Budget’ and ‘Pro Middle Class budget’ etc. But if you look at it deeply, you can easily understand that it is a budget mainly for the corporates! How? Let us analyze!

Income Tax: People are overwhelmingly praising the budget as people friendly because tax slabs are liberalized by the Finance Minister! What is the liberalization offered? Earlier exemption to taxation for income was given up to 2,50,000/-. We were demanding this ceiling of taxation should be revised as 10,00,000/-. Some Pensioners Associations were even demanding that the Pension quantum should be exempted from taxation for long. But repeatedly the Government at the Centre had denied any relief to the wage earning and pension earning sections in the past! In this budget also the limit is marginally enhanced to 3,00,000/- from 2,50,000/-. Just taxation limit is refixed for an income of additional 50,000/- only. Immediately, the budget is showered with encomiums! The tax rebate up to 7 lakhs income is like a drop in the ocean of many ills faced by us due to inflation and denial of DA/DR arrears for 18 months. Any one whose earnings is more than seven lakhs, he would get exemption only up to 3 lakhs and at the prevailing rates (5%) he has to pay tax for his income above 3 to 6 lakhs and for the amount above 6 lakhs at the rate of 10% as per new Income Tax rates.

Railways: People are appreciating the news that the plan outlay for Railways is highest ever with 2.4 lakh crores earmarked for the financial year 2024. But read the news that 75 Vande Bharat Trains are going to be rolled out! There is no assurance in the budget that the Railways will not be privatized! On the other hand, Railways are going to be bartered at a price far inferior to the value to the Corporates after spending more money of the exchequer. The announcement that there will be more Vande Bharat Trains means that there will be more privatization! What is there to rejoice?

The Budget maintains a wonderful silence about recruitment of youth to the regular jobs in Railways and other Government and Public Sector Undertakings. Lakhs of vacancies are remaining to be filled in Railways and other Departments! Even during the presentation of so-called Election Budget, the Central Government is not coming forward to make any verbal assurance of filling the vacancies!

NPS: There is no mention about the woes of NPS employees and workers. The Central Government is not coming forward to introspect the NPS scheme even after 18 long years! Six State Governments in India have repudiated NPS and opted for OPS. The Central Government and the Reserve Bank Of India are threatening those State Governments that they will face stringent financial crisis if they want to revert to OPS! What is the meaning? The pro-corporate stance of the Central Government towards NPS will be strictly implemented in the future also whether there will be general elections or not.

Defence: Defence Budget has been hiked by enormous 13%! A huge sum of 5.94 lakh crores are earmarked for Defence. What is not mentioned here is that privatization of defence going to be a major policy of the Government. We know that the  Army Personnel were exempted from NPS ealier. But now in the name of Agnipath any regular appointment or pension will be denied to them. The current budget is not going to remove the burden imposed on the Indian Youth!

Jobs: The Budget on the other hand not speaks much about creation of Jobs! It says about schemes but only to create jobs for some lakhs of youth. Stress is given for job opportunities in foreign countries! Meaning is very clear. The crores of educated and uneducated youth are going to get only oral assurances which will never be implemented as in the past budgets. Lakhs of vacancies in the Government and Public sector will go unfilled and regular jobs will be given to contractors and the industries will be disinvested to corporates!

MGNREGS Scheme: A Scheme started in the UPA-1 regime which will guarantee the families in rural areas that they will not sleep hungry but ensured of a minimum income is not encouraged by the budget. A huge cut of 32% in the budget for MGNREGS shows clearly that the present Government is not ensuring the poor to get any assured income.

Postal: What is the plan outlay allotted for Postal? Around 25,000 crores! For what use? Even improving the infrastructure of computers with replacements all over India and updating of software etc., alone will cost huge in the Postal.  But the Government is silent on these vital aspects. There is no guarantee that the Postal will not be corporatized and the functions of Postal will be executed only by Postal Staff. Concessions shown towards Senior Citizen Savings Schemes are of course welcome. But by attacking the working people below the belts and granting some concessions for the retired people at the time of retirement while denying pension in the name of NPS are not going to be praised by the retiring people.

In total, the budget is not for the common workers and people in general but for the welfare of the corporate sections as usual, even though this is the last full budget of the present Central Government before General Elections!

Decisions of CMC Meeting held on 27.01.2023!

 ALL INDIA POSTAL & RMS PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION

AIPRPA / CMC Decisions                                                                                Dated 29.01.2023

To

All CMC Members

AIPRPA

Decisions of first Central Managing Committee

 

After 3rd AIC of AIPRPA held at Thiruvananthapuram from 13th to 14th December'23  Ist Central Managing Committee Meeting ( virtually) held successfully on 27-01-23 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. under the presidentship of Com. K. Ragavendran, our CHQ President.

 

Almost all CMC members and State General Secretaries  ( total 31 )participated in the meeting as well as in the deliberations on the agenda of the meeting. Meeting unanimously took the following decisions. At the beginning of the meeting Comrade K. Ragavendran was given warm greetings for his unanimous election as Secretary General of NCCPA in the vacant place of Comrde KKN Kutty, who passed away recently. Meeting also conveyed red salute to the Reception Committee of 3^rd AIC held at Kerala. The following decisions were taken unanimously in the CMC Meeting:

 

1.     CHQ HQ of AIPRPA will be shifted to Guwahati within three months. Instead of shifting of office furniture, new furniture for office use to be purchased at Guwahati. The existing assets will be transferred to Tamilnadu State Association as transferring furniture and other assets including the desk top to Guwahati will be more costly.

 

2.     The existing CHQ Office at Chennai will be vacated at the earliest. The vacation of CHQ Office at Chennai will reduce the cost of WiFi through Hathway at CHQ Office. The advance amount of 1,00,000 paid to the landlord also will come back to CHQ from the landlord. As the residence of CHQ President from Egmore also is shortly going to be shifted, the Hathway Wifi at that place also will be terminated by April.

 

3.     CMC Meeting permitted to set up the CHQ Office at Guwahati and engage one office Assistant. The meeting also approved the purchase of one new Laptop for use of General Secretary. It was decided that the cost of the Laptop will be shared by the State Associations voluntarily considering their fund position and the remaining amount will be borne from the funds of the CHQ.

 

4.     Pensioners Post Monthly Journal will continue to be published from Chennai at least for next 6 months as at present. All efforts will be taken to change the name of the Editor as the “General Secretary AIPRPA” and the Publisher as “AIPRPA” officially and the issue will be edited from Guwahati by the General Secretary. If layout and printing at Chennai is cost effective, the same can be done from Chennai itself as the modern technology permits these functions and the Tamilnadu State Association will help the CHQ in dispatch of the journal every month.  Comrade Deepchand, Delhi State Secretary will give all assistance to the GS CHQ to change the name etc., by the RNI New Delhi. Editorial board will be recast and the number of members in the Editorial Board will be selected by the next CMC meeting to be held virtually after three months.

 

5.     An All India “Legal and Disciplinary Cell” will be formed at the pattern of Tamilnadu and the names of experts in the cell will be discussed by CHQ in the next CMC at April month.

 

6.     All State Secretaries will ensure to increase the number of subscribers of his state to reach our target of reaching 5000 subscribers within the earliest period. To start with the earlier decision of CMC and AIC that all Office Bearers of State Association and the Divisional Associations shall be annual subscribers will be ensured by all States.

 

7.     The Pensioners Post will be soon converted into bilingual ( English & Hindi) provided that the State Secretaries of Hindi belt will confirm  the number of  required copies of their state. Some important pages will be printed in Hindi also after taking permission from the RNI as converting the journal into bilingual cannot be done by CHQ without permission from the RNI.

 

8.     All state associations will hold its State working committee meeting at least quarterly so that proper monitoring of Divisional /District can be done.

 

9.     States will send updated report to CHQ by email on the actual number of memberships of each division /district Association & quota paid to CHQ.

 

10.  States wherein no AIPRPA is yet to be founded or the States with weaker organizational structure (except W.B., Karnataka & Rajasthan which will be taken up after a decision of NCCPA on organization with regard to these states), CHQ will make plan shortly to form or improve our existing organization with taking help from all CMC members & leaders of respective states.

 

11.  As assured in last AIC by the State President of Bihar, the State Association of Bihar will form Divisions and intimate the list of Divisions to CHQ and ensure sending CHQ Quota too. 

 

12.  For States of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the CMC that meets in April (virtually) will take decisions and form “State Steering Committees”. The CMC Members shall come prepared to propose names for those Steering Committees.

 

13.  For States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh; Odisha; Chhattisgarh; Telangana; Maharashtra, formation of Districts / Divisions is important and the CMC that meets next will monitor the growth.  The State Secretaries of these States will send the mailing list of Divisional Secretaries and propose ways and means of expanding the organization of AIPRPA.

 

14.  Delhi State Association will discuss in its CWC and will take all efforts to form Divisions on the lines of existing Postal Divisions in Delhi Circle so that the next Conference of Delhi State will be based on indirect membership.       

 

15.  States are advised to send their unsettled issues to CHQ in writing for taking up with the appropriate authority.

 

16.  CGHS related issues as well as other issues that cover the entire CG Pensioners and CG Family Pensioners will be forwarded to NCCPA for a common decision by the CHQ. 

 

17.  Resolutions taken in the last AIC will be forwarded to respective authority for taking necessary action. On resolutions related to Postal Pensioners, our CHQ will pursue with the appropriate authority directly. A Programme of action also will be chalked out on the particular issues where necessary as decided by the AIC in consultation with the President. On Common issues it will be taken up with  the NCCPA  & and relevant Service Federations / Unions for taking suitable decision.

 

18.  Meeting decided to extend full solidarity support to the agitational programmes of NJCA as decided in the National Convention on 21.01.2023 against NPS.

 

19.  Decided  that all States shall take action to purchase the book released in our AIC on M.Krishan’s written articles and write up about Comrade Krishnan by other leaders by the States and Districts / Divisions under them. The book called the “Red Roses” is available with NFPE Headquarters and our CHQ shall be intimated after placing necessary orders with the NFPE headquarters.               

 

20.  CMC members who attended the AIC at Thiruvananthapuram can claim TA bill (Train fare only) if they want from CHQ Treasurer Com. C. sekar by sending necessary bills by post. CHQ Treasurer will send the cash by G Pay etc electronically. If any CMC Member adjusts the expenses from respective states, that is welcome too.

                

 

                                                                               D.K.Debnath

                                                                                                                                                       General secretary

Pensioners Post on its journey into 8th year!

 Pensioners Post - January 2023 Issue getting printed!

 

On completion of 7 years of release of monthly issue of AIPRPA CHQ, the Pensioners Post is commencing its successful journey into 8th year. On this great occasion we greet all subscribers, activists who take interest to collect subscribers and all comrades contributed articles and thoughts. This issue also contains articles of interest and some usual features - KR Editor PP

NCCPA National Executive!

 National Executive NCCPA!

Today from 3.00 P.M to 5.00 P.M (15.01.2023) the National Executive of NCCPA under the presidentship of NCCPA President comrade Shiva Gopal Mishra was held. Almost most of the Patrons, Office Bearers and General Secretaries of Affiliated Unions and State CGPAs attended and overwhelming number of them addressed also. Comrade D.K.Debnath General Secretary of AIPRPA also attended and participated. 

The National Executive unanimously approved the proposals of President for the vacant posts of Secretary General (caused by the sudden demise of comrade KKN Kutty); and the Working President (caused by the demise of comrade S.S.Roy) and elected the following comrades:

1. Com. K.Ragavendran - Secretary General.

2. Com. S.K.Sharma - Working President. 

Other important decisions:

1) Total support and solidarity to all programmes of National JCA against NPS. NCCPA will depute a small contingent of 7 comrades led by com.Ishwarsingh Dabas Asst.SG NCCPA to the 21st National Convention in Delhi organised by NJCA.

2) In February the National Executive will meet and discuss all problems and take appropriate decisions.

3) Accounts and other papers to Registrar of TUs will be submitted by Secretary General shortly. SB Account in the joint names of comrades H.L.Sidhu and KKN Kutty will hereafter be operated jointly by comrades H.L.Sidhu and K.Ragavendran. 

4) The President Comrade Shiva Gopal Mishra then concluded the meeting. 

- K.Ragavendran SG NCCPA-

NPS to GO!

NCCPA Call endorsed by AIPRPA CHQ 

Conduct demonstrations along with Employees of All Sectors as per the call of National JCA

D.K.Debnath

General Secretary - AIPRPA

 NCCPA calls all to join and support the clarion call of National JCA against NPS!

NCCPA expresses its total support and solidarity to the call of National Joint Council of Action against NPS. The National JCA meeting held in New Delhi at AIRF office had planned a series of programmes against NPS. AIRF, NFIR, AIDEF, Confederation, Primary Teacher's Federation's, State Government Employees Federation's of Various State's ,Para military's staff federation's and representatives of PSUs have taken the decision to launch a series of programmes against discontinuance of NPS and reintroduction of OPS irrespective of date of recruitment and joining.

Today, all over India, demonstrations are being launched by the National JCA. NCCPA and all its affiliates will join and strengthen the programme of demonstrations and all programs of National JCA. Please send photos of our solidarity with our banners and flags to CHQ!

K.Ragavendran

Deputy SG NCCPA

For NCCPA

1Jagdish Chandra Chhimwal

Expectations of Pensioners belied! Time to unite and revolt!

Many Recommendations of Parliament Standing Committee goes in SMOKE!

Report of Parliament Standing Committee submits ATR in Rajyasabha  and expresses satisfaction on many issues over the action taken by the DoP&PW! Here we are analyzing the document to some extent and a full analyzation of the REport will be published in January issue of Pensioners Post. Comments are welcome from all readers either by email to pensionerspost@gmail.com or whatsapp to 9444919295 or in any of the CHQ whatsapp groups - KR CHQ President AIPRPA

[14:50, 27/12/2022] Aiprpa Chq: संसद की स्थायी समिति की रिपोर्ट राज्यसभा में एटीआर प्रस्तुत करती है और डीओपीएंडपीडब्ल्यू द्वारा की गई कार्रवाई पर कई मुद्दों पर संतोष व्यक्त करती है!  यहां हम कुछ हद तक दस्तावेज़ का विश्लेषण कर रहे हैं और रिपोर्ट का पूर्ण विश्लेषण पेंशनर्स पोस्ट के जनवरी अंक में प्रकाशित किया जाएगा।  सभी पाठकों की टिप्पणियों का स्वागत है या तो Pensionerspost@gmail.com पर ईमेल या 9444919295 पर व्हाट्सएप करें या सीएचक्यू के किसी भी व्हाट्सएप ग्रुप में - केआर सीएचक्यू अध्यक्ष एआईपीआरपीए!

Action Taken Report on the recommendations of the Parliament Standing Committee submitted in Rajya Sabha – CAT is out of the BAG now!

The ATR (Action Taken Report) on the recommendations of the 110^th Report of the Parliament Standing Committee is tabled in Rajya Sabha by the above Committee. The community of Pensioners all over the country were wondering about the nature of recommendations as many of them were recommended though rejected by the 7^th CPC! The Pensioners were pinning much hope that these recommendations will be implemented by the Union Government! But the National Executive of NCCPA that met in June 2022, had clearly opined that these recommendations were only publicity stunt and not for real implementation! The averment of NE of NCCPA has come out true today with the ATR submitted in Rajya Sabha. Let us see the aspects of the report:

1.      The ATR itself is clear in stating that out of 28 recommendations made by the Committee only five (5) are accepted. It says that recommendations in Paras 2.12; 3.12; 3.23; 3.31; and 4.7 are accepted. What are these Paras? Para 2.12 stated that the pension related grievances can also be lodged in CPGRAMS Portal. Para 3.12 deals with the grant of Provisional Pension until the grant of regular pension and the regular PPO. Para 3.23 recommends for provision of non-CGHS Pensioners with the medical facilities on par with serving employees or an idea for cashless health insurance facility in lieu of FMA should be mooted by Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare. Para 3.31 expresses hope of the Committee that additional funds are sanctioned by the Government to provide for deserving pensioners organizations based on their previous performance. Para 4.7 deals with the issue of digitisation of entire process of pension sanction. These are the recommendations accepted and the Parliament Standing Committee expressed happiness and satisfaction over the action of accepting just 5 of its recommendations!

2.      Implementation of even the above issues require to be seen by us to what extent various departments and Ministries are going to take them seriously for implementation though the replies are assuring and OMs also are issued. But very important issues recommended by the Standing Committee stand rejected by the Government!

3.      Many important recommendations of the Parliament Standing Committee are just given up in the wind! The ATR says that the Committee does not desire to pursue in view of the replies given by the Departments of Government on 16 of the recommendations made in Paras 3.3; 3.4; 3.10; 3.13; 3.19; 3.20; 3.21; 3.22; 3.28; 3.35; 4.9; 4.14; 4.15; 5.11; 5.12 and 5.16 of the Report! The Committee says that it is satisfied with the explanations advanced! Well; we are not satisfied! Para 3.3 deals with enhancement of Group Insurance quantum; Para 3.4 states to change the savings fund to insurance fund be modified; Para 3.10 recommended to maintain GPF Account in electronic mode and transferred to the parent department; Para 3.13 wanted to end the delay caused in sanction of pension due to corona; Para 3.19 recommended for proper medical facilities to pensioners as ruled by the Apex Court and rules to immediately reimburse the bills of treatment shall be finalized and that the FMA to be enhanced to 3000/- to mitigate the problems of pensioners; Para 3.19 recommended for enacting rules for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by CGHS beneficiary in a non-empanelled hospital fully as per apex court direction and to avoid pensioners spending huge money for getting justice in different courts; Para 3.20 recommended that CGHS should be expanded to district headquarters also and allow CPENGRAMS to admit medical related grievances also; Para 3.21 recommended for enhancement of FMA to 3000/- by accepting the points of Pensioners Associations that at old age pensioners are faced with lot of diseases; Para 3.22 suggested for a hassle free surrender certificate of FMA in online; Para 3.28 recommended for grant of additional pension from 65 years itself as the joint family system is breaking up and the pensioners are forced to live separately to meet the additional expenditure and stressed the DoP&PW to vigorously pursue this issue with the MOF; Para 3.35 recommended for change of date of upgradation under MACP from 1.1.2006; Para 4.9 recommended for improvement in CPAO Portal; Para 4.14 recommended that the Head of Office start the pension process before one year of retirement; Para 4.15 deals with the delay in sanction of family pension; Para 5.11 recommended for wider modern technology for pension; Para 5.12 dealt with the system of withdrawal of pension from homes to the elderly pensioners; and Para 5.16 recommended for streamlining of pension and family pension sanction.

4.      All the above are vital and important for the pensioners and family pensioners. If the Committee expresses satisfaction over the nature of action taken on these issues by the Government Departments and comes to the conclusion that it does not want to pursue further these issues, then we are sure that these vital issues are thrown to air by the Parliament Standing Committee! In nut shell, the Parliament Standing Committee enacted a drama for the amusement of lakhs of pensioners in the country and that the amusement is over!

5.      The Parliament Standing Committee did not accept the replies given to seven (7) recommendations stated in Paras 2.10; 2.16; 2.21; 2.30; 2.33; 3.37; and 4.13! In Para 2.10 the Committee wanted the pension complaints to be streamlined by forming a social audit panel; In Para 2.16 it had recommended for accountability mechanism to deal with the grievances of pension; Para 2.21 recommended for an Appellate mechanism to be operationalized for improving the effectiveness of the grievances; Para 2.30 recommended for virtual pension Adalats once in six months; Para 2.33 recommended for a pre-litigation conciliation for avoiding grievances in the pre-litigation time itself; In Para 3.37 the Committee had recommended for full liberalized pension on par with widows of defence personnel to widows of  Paramilitary / Civil Servants also; and 4.13 wanted the Government to be proactive in reaching out family pensioners and for liberalizing the procedures for children of the deceased Government servants.

6.      From the Action Taken Report it is clear that the Government has rejected (1) Additional Pension from 65 years; (2) No MACP from 1.1.2006; (3) No notional increment to 30^th June Retirees as per Para 2.37 of the present Report No.120 submitted in Rajyasabha; Therefore, many basic aspects of the recommendations are thus rejected. The increase in FMA quantum is of course not outrightly rejected but under consideration and we do not know the exact quantum of enhancement. But one thing is clear; it will not be 3000/- as recommended by the Committee. 

 

Pensioners Post December issue getting ready!

 Pensioners Post - December issue getting ready!

The issue of December "Pensioners Post" is gone to Press from Layout. ON 27th December the issue will be posted to all Subscribers. The issue comes as an issue of All India Conference of AIPRPA that was successfully held at Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala. The issue contains several photos of the AIC which was inaugurated by the Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala State. The issue contains Homage to SG NCCPA Comrade KKN Kutty; many resolutions adopted in the AIC; Amendments adopted and list of new CMC; Highlights of AIC; the analyses of the year 2022 for the Pensioners; Pensioners Day on 17.12.2022 message; and usual features like 'Pensioners Mirror'; 'Government orders'; 'CHQ Writes to Government' and Box Matters. The front wrapper of the monthly journal is given here as it exposes the claim of the Union Government with regard to non-finalization of any Litigation Policy!

Subscribers are once again reminded that with this issue the year of 2022 is over and their subscription also is exhausted for many. Kindly renew them by sending 200/- EMOs; and sending the bulk by organizers of AIPRPA. - KR Editor Pensioners Post