TRIAL COSTS NOTHING

Dear LIC pensioner colleagues,

  We are pretty well aware that we are moving heaven and earth to see that our two-decades-long pending issues of hundred per cent DR and upward revision of pension are settled amicably in par with One Rank, One Pension norm. Through stage-war appointment of  Pay Commissions and the recommendations made by them, Central and State Governments implement wage & pension revisions and protect the interest of their employees and pensioners. The Ex-Servicemen had to put up a long drawn battle for the same cause to be settled. It appears that the settlement is not complete as promised by the authorities concerned.

This much they could achieve only because of involvement of large number of Ex-Servicemen in the street-struggle and their non-relented zeal. We could also see the novice ways adopted by the bureaucracy to scuttle their demands.

  Now, it has come to the fore that discrimination do exist in the fixation of pension in the Judiciary system too.

  At present the Management of LIC / GOI have taken a different scale of argument that pension is paid to LIC pensioners under Funded Scheme and any further improvement in the present form would jeopardize the interest of policyholders, etc.

  Bank pensioners also are demanding hike in their pension. In the recent negotiation with UFBU, IBA has tried to bypass the issue under the guise that the matter is sub-judice. But UFBU has clarified that no such case is pending in any of the courts under its banner and that there are no barriers from any angle towards " out-off-court settlements. IBA has found no other go but to allow the subject to continue in the agenda. Next round of negotiation is scheduled on 13th

instant.

  Government of India is silent over the same issue in respect of Reserve Bank of India pensioners, despite the efforts of present and past RBI Governors.

  In the mean time there are suggestions from among our own colleagues that contacts with Prime Minister,Finance Minister, other Ministers and Members of Parliament should be resumed, side by side, and try to wipe off the wrong impressions with factual figures,

without any prejudice to our court activities.

  Now, Sri. H.K.Aggarwal has taken pains to draft a fine letter addressed to PM bringing out our monetary losses and allied sufferings to his personal knowledge and seeking his intervention to set matters right by directing  LIC to fulfill the demands of elderly pensioners. Some feel that we are too small in number and that too unfortunately spread over the country. This communication may not compel PM to take decisions to our favour. Of course, political pressure may not be there to the effect of causing any disturbance to his government. But being the Pradhan Sevak of the country, he is expected to give credence to the life and death problems of the former sevaks of the Industry, LIC. Who knows, these letters may touch his conscience and take suitable actions to mitigate our sufferings. Suppose, nothing happens on these appeals. Let us be satisfied that we have done our

duty of taking our issues directly to his personal knowledge.

  That way, " This Trial Costs Nothing ". We do no wrong in sending this letter.

With affection and regards,

M.P.Subrahmanian.