AIRIEF EC MEET AT BHOPAL, 1 & 2 NOVEMBER, 2015:

PRESIDENT SRI S.S.SAXENA LETTER TO ALL EC MEMBERS,AIRIEF

President / General Secretaries of Divisional Associations of AIRIEF,

Leaders of Divisional Associations are meeting in Bhopal  on 1st & 2nd Nov 2015. The present team of AIRIEF which was elected 16.10.2014 in Bangaluru has completed one year in Office. AIRIEF will be 19 years old. It is now time when we take stock of our working and collectively arrive at certain agreed conclusions so that our organization becomes a vibrant entity.
With this objective in view, I wish to share some random thoughts and seek response from one and all to come forword with their view for a charter of Activity. We may call it mission & vision of AIRIEF, for atleast next five years.

An Union or Association is a group of individuals with common expectation & minimum programme to achieve the desired results. In any organization or enterprise, it is necessary to have other points of view. Gandhi Ji wanted a perfect blend between Capital (or management) and the labour but alas that could not be advised

Against this background, on Association stands on different footing.  At best, it is a welfare organization for the Sr. Citizens by the Sr. Citizens .

We are a group of workers in that sense of term but recipient of pension which is a deferred wage. Having spent 3 to 4 decades in employment, our best part of Life was dedicated to serving Life Insurance Corporation of India. We wish to spend evening of Life in a comparative serene environment. For various reasons the Govt. of India and / or LIC have not taken that benevolent view. We are dragged to a prolonged litigation. Some of our members appear to suffer from withdrawal syndrome and do not contribute in physical and financial terms adequately.

Life begins at 60, Sr. Citizens have to live a life of dignity, following this dictum, they have to awake and arise for creating a vigilant group of retirees who can work as a pressure group. Look at the fight by ex defence personnel for a dignified settlement of OROP which could be solved after 42 years.
I would therefore, call upon all retires, particularly the leaders of Divisional Associations to formulate a programme of actions in the Executive Committee meeting of AIRIEF to the held in Bhopal on 1st and 2nd Nov 2015

Some of the areas of concern are listed below.

Pension Updation & neutralization of DA
Matter is in the Supreme Court Mr. KML Asthana has done the pioneering job. Mr. S.N. Chabra of Panchkula has also contributed. AIRIEF is doing coordination and monitoring with the financial support of members, we have reached upto this stage. Please update yourself about the proceedings.
There legal cases decided infavour of pensioners by HCs of Jaipur, Chandigarh and Delhi have been clubbed by the Supreme Court. An order for interim relief of 20% of amount due to pensioners was passed by the Supreme Court on 07.05.2015 be paid within 6 weeks has not been announced by LIC in full.

Yet another order dt. 07.09.2015 was passed by the Supreme Court to release this benefit within 2 weeks Final date in is 23.09.2015 in Supreme Court AIRIEF is fully seized of the matter Legal Committee met in Bhopal on 17.06.2015. As a follow up, authorized office bearers of the AIRIEF went to Delhi on 20.08.2015 to 22.08.2015, discussed the matter with the Senior Advocate Requested for impleadment of AIRIEF in Supreme Court, settled legal fee and finally will meet again on 21.09.2015 in Delhi.

On 16.09.2015, I talked to Officials of Pers. Deptt of LIC Co. Mumbai . It is learnt the payment of interim relief of 20% is being paid to the petitioners of Jaipur and Delhi HCs. There is no news of payment of interim relief to the petitioners of Chandigarh HC. Whatever be the position of payment of interim relief, I may assure the members that our efforts are directed that benefits of final verdict of Supreme Court come to every pensioner. 

Case is likely to be heard on 23.09.2015 Here I would request the members to keep calm, collect funds and pay no attention to the commentaries issued from time to time by various vested persons.

Litigation is a costly exercise Please donate generously. In response to a call for legal fund @ 30000/- by each Association, Bangaluru, Indore, Bhopal, Udaipur, Machlipatnam, Rajmundary have sent remittances. Others are requested to send money urgently.

In case of doubt, seek clarification from Office Bearers. You are welcome to talk to me on phone

Mediclaim Scheme : Now floater policy will higher sum assured has been approved. TPA has been introduced, it is a good relief. Thanks to Shri. PN Shrivastava, Kanpur for his efforts in this matter.

You are requested to ensure that bills are settled on time. In case there is some difficulty in administration of scheme, please inform us. Please let us know that excess premium has been refunded and ID  Cards have been issued.

Payment of Pension : I hope it is credited to the respective accounts of the pensioners Please let me know if the payment is done on time on in first of next month Our leaders have to take special case of family pensioners.

Varisthavani : Our magazine, Varisthavani is published from Hyderabad. Mrs. Subhalaxmi in the Editor, She is assisted by an editorial board. This time there was some delay in publication. While I thank Mrs. Subhalaxmi for the job, she has undertaken, I would request you to express your opinion whether
1.    Contents are upto your satisfaction
2.    Distribution is proper
3.    What is going to be your contribution to make it more reader friendly .
Please ascertain the views of your association & place in the EC Meeting

Circulars / Communication

Shri. G.Krishnaswamy, Treasurer, is the spokesperson of AIRIEF 4 circulars issued so far. I want it should be on monthly basis

What is the view of your Association? What inputs / information you are going to contribute to make it more readable?

Project 100 : Organizationally, we are the representative of the retired personnel of LIC. Presently there 115 Divisional Offices and 8 Zonal Offices. The Zonal Hqrs, there are Divisional Offices too. At some locations there are more that one Dos Taking account this factor, there are 100 locations where LIC has ZO and Dos. As such we have to have 100 Divisional Associations. You are requested to lend your support in this case. Organizing Secretaries M/S B Angurajan & Arun Kant Shukla will come forward and seek your support. What are your concrete suggestions in this behalf. Pls bring the same in EC Meeting.

Membership Position : What is the strength of total pensioners and what is your members at your location? Plz discuss the system of enrolling members and the role of Divisional Associations in keeping them in our fold.

How do you do social net working ?

–Yearly Accounts and membership register  I hope your Association is keeping such accounts. Plz pass on a copy to our Treasurer Shri. Krishnaswamy.

Directory of Membership / retirees : A good members of Associations are publishing a Directory at periodical intervals. Some give date of Birth and Marriage also.

This information enables members to wish each other on important occasions. What is the practice in your Association.

News Bulletin : Some Associations are issuing news bulletins which are informative. Is this practice prevalent at your location?

-    Monthly Meetings, How frequently you are having meetings of General IEC Members
-    We have to constitute- Sub Committees
1    Legal Committee    Already in place may be reconstituted.
Willing persons are welcome
2    Negotiating Committee   
3    Editorial Committee for Varisthvani   
4    Finance & Budget Committee    To draw a plan for financial resources and expenses for 2 years
5    Organization & Cultural Committee    To develop Organization & market it more lively and friendly at local / regional/ all India Level

Your valued suggestions on these points and others which you may deem relevant are welcome.
With fraternal greetings.

With regards,               

S.S. Saxena , 

Bhopal.  

17/9/2015