I refer to the circular by the AIBOC published in your blog.The Bank retirees seem to be keen and eager to settle for RBI pattern of upgradation.
It is ethically and organizationally a very inappropriate and opportunistic approach to adopt.For one thing, such a dispensation ignores a large number of pensioners who have died during the past 27 years.For the other, it also entails sacrificing arrears for the periods ranging from 7 years to 25 years since their retirees.This approach smacks of illusion that the pensioners will benefit by the prospective increase .Here again there will be disparity in the degree of benefit derived by the various groups of pensioners.Those who have retired after 1/11/2022 will get the benefit from day 1, viz 1/8/2027, while those who retired between 1/11/1992 and 31/10/1997 will lose the maximum arrears due to them with retrospective effect.Such retirees will now be aged between 87 and 92 years as on date( if they are alive).If these pensioners are given the benefit of prospective upgradation, the present value of the increased pension for the rest of their lives will be far less than the arrears they they would be entitled in the event of retrospective effect being given for upgradation.
The number of pensioners are only 30000+ whereas the number of pensioners of PSBs are more than 7 lks and the .overseas will be larger in number.In LIC, there are about 79000 pensioners 68000 pension optees in service.
Left to me, I would not prefer RBI type of upgradation.In case of PSB pensioners, any upgradation can happen only through a Bipartitite Settlement which is a time consuming process.In case of LIC pensioners , we are in the final stage of the legal fight even though the SC hearing is likely to take place only in the third week of August 2025 and even then, we are better placed with strong legal grounds for obtaining a fair verdict under the six Civil Appeals before SC.
Let us not, as LIC pensioners, get swayed in by desperation and settle for anything short of upgradation of pension with retrospective effect from 1/8/1997.We should reject outright any proposal ( even if it is made) for upgradation of pension on RBI pattern. More than 20000 pensioners eligible for revised pension have died between 1/8/1997 and 31/7/2022.If we settle for anything that compromises their interests on pension,we shall be betraying them and will carry the curse of the souls of the deceased pensioners who are denied their due
benefits.
C H Mahadevan
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