FEDERATION OF RETIRED LIC CLASS I OFFICERS' ASSOCIATIONS
President : N.P. Bali 705, Sur, Veena Saaz, Thakur Complex, Kandivali (East), Mumbai - 400 101 Mob : 9820324213 Email Id - npbali@hotmail.com | General Secretary : D Krishnan No.6/1, Sreshta Riverside Apartments, Wood Creek Road, Nandambakkam, Chennai - 600089 Tel : 9176635967 / 044 42850049. Email Id - dkrishnan1@gmail.com |
Ecircular No.DK/5 14-01-2020
Reg: Where our Matters are Headed ......
Very Happy Makara Sankranti, and Pongal to all of you. While the North of India is going through a very stiff winter, the South, of North of India, is enjoying comparatively equable weather, and these Festivals signify the change of season that is to follow.
The Banks have been in continued Meetings with the IBA and 13th of Jan 2020 was the last one. Unfortunately, there has been no further improvements in the offers from IBA. On the other hand they have made certain categorical statements, saying 5 day week and expansion of Encashment of Leave at Retirement cannot be given. They have also made it clear that the Financial up grades offered earlier cannot be improved upon. The other significant aspects, of interest to Pensioners, is that no final word is there about Revision of Pensions, where the cost factor is still being examined. As for Family Pension, the matter is now with the Central Govt., and it is expected, that the improvement suggested, will be approved soon.
That puts paid to our expectations on the Banks Settlement regarding Revision of Pensions. Our hope was that if some finality could be reached there, it may pave the way eventually for its acceptance for LIC Pensioners too. That would have lightened our expectations, in the on-going Case in the Supreme Court. But now we are back to square one, where the SLPs pending in the SC become important. As made out a number of times earlier, Supreme Court has only a small window open for us, where matters of violations of Rules, Law or Constitution alone would be examined.
We have been preparing ourselves assiduously on how we present our case in the SC when the matter comes up on the 5th of Feb. 2020, in the SC. There are two aspects that lie before the SC -- one relates to LIC's Compliance of DHC Order on Pre-1997 Retirees, where we have had to file a Counter Affidavit to say the implementation is grossly defective, and the other relates to the SLPs on Revision in Pensions. Our approach is now to see that the SLPs which should answer to most grievances of ours, including the inadequacies of implementation of DHC Order, if approved, should come first in the order of being dealt with. But we may not be in control of where the new Bench would like to start the proceedings.
Towards this end, we are preparing ourselves with points against the Arguments put forth in the Counter Affidavit of LIC to our SLP. If we are able to break ground in this attempt, then it might become easier for us to think of positive outcomes. Cost factor which was put up before the DHC, by the LIC, should not pose a major hurdle here, as the DHC itself , while talking about viability of LIC being affected, if Revision in Pensions is given, concluded that , it was not on cost grounds, that it denied up-gradation . That leaves us with the rest of the points like comparability to Central Govt. Retirees, Pension Rules not providing for Revision, Pension rules being uniform to all , and there being no Discrimination, etc. which the LIC's Counter Affidavit makes out in denial of Revision. Internally, we have been in consultations with all our erstwhile legal pundits, in firming up our points.
The silver lining this time around, is that we are freely conferring, and sharing views with the other Petitioners and that has given us the confidence that the push in the SC this time will be more focused and integrated. Our plan is to have one final meeting of Petitioners there in Delhi on the 4th of Feb 2020, after which we will meet our Senior Counsel and have the exchange of points in a brief and pointed manner.
On the Organizational front, there is good news from Nashik, where as a result of initiatives taken by the leadership there, the Membership has gone up from around 40 to over 100! This is indeed a great leap forward, suggesting to others that efforts will bring results. Kudos to them.
So Wishing all of you once again , a very happy Festive season, --
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