Dear Shri.Sahnji,
I request you to
publish the attached letters in your esteemed Pensioners' Blog and
oblige. I feel all the pensioners' associations should meet P & IR
officials immediately to press for the said amendments in pension rules
as they may send amended rules for approval any time here after. Maximum
pressure has to be built up to ensure aspired amendments.3 ATTACHMENTS AS ABOVE REPRODUCED BELOW
1.
NATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INSURANCE PENSIONERS
(Affiliated to Bharateeya Mazdoor Sangh)
BMS Office, Vishwakarma Bhavan, 185, Shaniwar Peth, Pune 411030. Tel.: 020-24454040
President: S. L. Burman General Secretary: Ashok J. Joshi
Date: 05-11-2015
To All The Members
⦁ Meeting with the Chief (Pers)-
⦁ NOIP delegation consisting of S/Shri.Ashok Joshi, S.D.Jawalakr & D.R.Mapara met the Chief (Per) in CO on 04-11-2015 and submitted the letter demanding inclusion of necessary amendments to Pension Rules. After the wage revision is finalized by LIC, it will be sent for notification along with amendments to Pension Rules. We gave some worked out examples regarding computation anomaly of Shri Arjun Prasad & others. He assured to look into Computation Anomaly and did not react negatively to 30% flat rate Family pension, increased pension to very senior pensioners, implementing M.C.Jain case verdict to all eligible, Cash Medical Allowance to pensioners (in line with RBI pensioners).
⦁ He also noted our request to fix dead line for payment of arrears to pensioners, since some Divisions like Meerut and others had taken more than 6 months to release arrears to pensioners in 2010.
(c) Regarding mediclaim related issues it appeared CO is not aware as to what is happening at Divisional Office level. We narrated all the issues in detail and requested CO to take steps to ensure issue of ID cards for cashless hospitalization.
⦁ Meeting with ED (P&GS)-
The delegation aspired to meet ED but due to official pre-occupation, among the senior executives only Shri.Hemant Buch, Secretary (PGSM), P&GS Dept, CO was available for a few minutes. We gave the letter insisting on introduction of Group Term Insc Scheme for pensioners. He assured to discuss the matter with ED and gave an assurance to look into it positively as they are finalizing revised terms to existing employees. The under signed would follow up with the ED once he returns to HQs from official tour.
Wishing you all Deewali greetings,
Yours faithfully,
(General Secretary)
2.
NATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INSURANCE PENSIONERS
(Affiliated to Bharateeya Mazdoor Sangh)
BMS Office, Vishwakarma Bhavan, 185, Shaniwar Peth, Pune 411030. Tel.: 020-24454040
President: S. L. Burman General Secretary: Ashok J. Joshi
Date: 04-11-2015
To,
The Executive Director (P&GS),
LIC of India, Central Office,
Yogakshema, MUMBAI
Dear Sir,
Re: Introduction of Group Insurance Scheme for Pensioners & Family Pensioners
NOIP has been demanding the captioned scheme for pensioners/family pensioners and it is also one of the major demands contained in the Charter of demands submitted by the NOIP. At present the total number of pensioners has crossed 40,000 and every year there are additions in thousands. Within a decade, one may not surprise if the pensioners’ community exceeds in number as compared to the number of in-service employees.
This necessitates the paradigm shift in a way the issues relating to the pensioners are looked into.
In furtherance to what is stated above, we urge upon you to introduce the Group Insurance Scheme to pensioners/family pensioners and the following points are note worthy.
⦁ Generally employees buy various insurance products that mature at the time when one retires. This leaves them without insurance cover beyond the age of superannuation. Average age of an Indian at present is about 65 years and for LIC employees it may still be substantially higher.
⦁ Hence there is a dire necessity of insurance coverage during post retirement period since the pensioners get a substantial amount of pension and insurable interest does exist to a great extent.
⦁ Due to higher age individual insurance is not affordable because of very high premium.
⦁ After retirement there is no need to get maturity proceeds and hence pure insurance cover under the Group Scheme would serve the purpose.
⦁ This can be on the lines of Group Mediclaim Scheme which is implemented on sound footing.
⦁ As in Group Mediclaim Scheme, LIC can be the Group Policyholder.
⦁ The scheme can be made optional and individual consent has to be obtained, who wish to join the same.
⦁ The cover may please be given initially up to the age of 85 years or at least 80 years.
⦁ Premium can be recovered monthly from the pension.
⦁ The scheme is to be made applicable to both the pensioners and family pensioners.
We request you to consider the above and set an example as a model employer by floating the said scheme and oblige.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
(General Secretary)
3.
NATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INSURANCE PENSIONERS
(Affiliated to Bharateeya Mazdoor Sangh)
BMS Office, Vishwakarma Bhavan, 185, Shaniwar Peth, Pune 411030. Tel.: 020-24454040
President: S. L. Burman General Secretary: Ashok J. Joshi
Date: 04-11-2015
To,
The Executive Director (Personnel),
LIC of India, Central Office,
Yogakshema, MUMBAI
Dear Sir,
Re: Amendment to Pension Rules and other matters
This has reference to our letter dtd 13-10-2015 addressed to the Chairman (copy endorsed to you), requesting him to call NOIP and other associations of pensioners for talks during the wage revision discussions on 16th and 17th of October 2015. But our request was not acceded. We are happy at the good offer made to serving employees and rightfully we expect the same concern to be shown to the issues of pensioners. Since the wage revision is going to be sent for notification any time now, we once again urge upon you to include the following amendments to be made in the Pension Rules.
⦁ Amendment to LIC of India (Employees’) Pension Rules, 1995
Since the last 4 years we have been insisting that there is a dire need to amend the pension rules and urge upon you to recommend amendments to obviate the glaring anomalies in pension rules-
⦁ Computation of Basic Pension- VI Pay Commission has recommended computation of pension as average of last 10 months’ basic pay or 50% of last drawn basic whichever is beneficial to the retiree. This ensures non anomalous situation if one retires in the intervening period of new wage revision. We request same rule to be applied to LIC pensioners as thousands of pensioners are affected in LIC due to the faulty method of computation of pension, being followed in LIC in such cases. Even in the present wage revision the anomaly persists and hence this amendment is essential.
⦁ Family Pension- VI Pay Commission has also recommended 30% of last pay drawn as family pension and full pension if one completes 20 years of service. For RBI pensioners, the Govt issued gazette notification dtd 12- 18 Jan, 2013, granting flat 30% of last pay drawn as family pension and full pension if 20 years service is completed. We request the same to be adopted for LIC pensioners.
⦁ Increased pension to pensioners of age 80 and above- VI Pay Commission has recommended increased pension to very senior citizens of age 80 and above. The same may please be granted to LIC Pensioners too.
⦁ One more pension option- We have been demanding one more option for pension to those who did not opt earlier. The said facility was given to Bank Pensioners during the 2010 wage revision. But LIC employees /pensioners were deprived of this offer. Hence we request you to grant one more option to opt for pension as there are hardly 15% who have been left out of the pension net. Option may please be given to those who took VRS/resigned to take care of family/had normal retirement. It is pertinent here to note that when NOIP delegation met Shri.Jayant Sinhaji, Honourable Minister of State for Finance in Delhi on 11-06-2015, he emphatically told us that this matter is not pending with him. In a way he hinted that the matter is not referred to him.
⦁ Implementation of the Order dtd.17-12-2012 in DBSA 1492/2002 passed by the HC of Rajasthan at Jaipur - M.C.Jain’s case
We learn that LIC’s SLP (Civil) No.16713/2014 and Petitions for SLP to Appeal-CC No.8094/2014 arising out of the impugned order captioned above, have been dismissed by the Honorable Supreme Court vide its order dtd 02-07-2014. We request you to immediately arrange to initiate the implementation of the captioned order to similarly placed Cl I officers who retired after 01-08-1992 and up to 31-03-1993.
⦁ Up gradation of basic pension with every wage revision-
Provision for up grading the basic pension with every wage revision in consonance with the revision to existing employees; be also included in the amendments.
⦁ Anomaly of Dearness Relief- 50% reduction in rates of DR prior to 01-08-1997 and tapered DR slabs to those retired prior to 01-08-1997 have to be done away with. (Granting 100% DR neutralization).
2) Mediclaim related issues-We are thankful to you for having finalized the floater scheme and MOU signed with New India Assurance Co Ltd. But many aspects contained therein simply remain on paper without seeing the light of implementation. (a) Even after lapse of 2 years hapless pensioners are yet to be issued ID cards either by LIC or by TPAs or by NIA for cashless hospitalization. (Except in SZ) Though substantial efforts are done by P & IR Dept, CO, they have failed to produce the desired results. (b) Though time limit of maximum 30 days is prescribed for reimbursement, even now ground reality remains the same- TPAs are taking more time to settle the claims after all queries are submitted. We request you to remedy the situation by your kind intervention. In some of the Divisions even pensioners’ data is not up dated resulting in delay in reimbursements. We also request you to issue uniform circular to all the offices of LIC to deduct the mediclaim premium every month in the pension or in 4 equal installments starting from the month of November every year. Some of the Divisions have adopted such recoveries on their own volition.
3) Cash medical allowance- NOIP has been demanding cash medical allowance in line with in-service employees to mitigate the outpatient medical expenses that run in thousands every month. RBI’s recent circular dtd.11-03-2015 in this regard is worth appreciating, as they have granted Rs.3900-6500 to their pensioners as medical allowance per year. Your benevolent gesture to LIC pensioners is requested in granting the allowance immediately.
In addition to the above to discuss the remaining demands in our Charter of Demands, we once again urge you to call NOIP also for discussions.
Awaiting your favourable action in the matter,
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
(General Secretary)
