AIRIEF Achivements

On Wednesday, 30 December 2015 7:25 PM, B.ANGURAJAN <ambigaangurajan@yahoo.co.in> wrote:

 

with regards,

B.ANGURAJAN.

(All India Organising Secretary -AIRIEF)

cell no:9443381571.

A)1)We all had a wonderful & eventful career in LIC. Came out of the cage of employment, old age set in,we turned a new page,pension became our new wage. AIRIEF is a large Umbrella of pensioners of ALL classes.It is of the pensioners, by the pensioners, for the pensioners.The Motto is to Relax, Reflect,Recapture & to  toil hard for the uplift, common welfare of pensioners to confer Peace,Serenity, Dignity &Tranquillity.Unless we dream dreams, we can't build Vision. AIRIEF became a bridge of understanding problems & issues,to dare to dream & to pursue a path untread  hitherto. AIRIEF was built. not on shifting sands but durable sweat & labour,labour of love & sacrifice.We have assiduously worked hard for resolving many outstanding issues.

2) During its chequered existence for near 2 decades , to be precise 18 yrs,,AIRIEF clicked many notable achievements ,which benefited many of our pensioners.

i)Ex-gratia for pre-1986 retirees was achieved after great struggle.

ii)Medical insurance benefit to spouses of deceased pensioners after lot of persuasion & follow-up.

iii)One more option to those who have not joined MediClaim scheme then.

Please do pay premium before 15 March EVERY YEAR, not to wait till last day 31 March or else we lose a good benefit,& now after FFPolicy mediclaim,more so as we are all ageing with many ailments to our debit.

iv)After protracted reminders & struggle, we could achieve exgratia of Rs1000pm to spouse of  predeceased exgratia retirees.

v) Pensioners do face difficulties in getting pension. After talks with management, where ECS or direct credit to pensioner's bank account facility is availed, stamped Advance Receipt was not insisted upon.

It is to the credit of AIRIEF that many administrative matters/procedures acting as bottleneck for  pensioners ,endeavours were made to highlight the problem & remove those obstacles.

-Supply of pension order/pass book containing all particulars of pensioner,especially basic pension,commuted amount, date of restoration ,nominee etc

-Pensioners/Family pensioners  can include Nomination for Pension file ,to take care of title, for any outstanding pension amount,arrears  etc.Fill up the Form,hand over to Pension cell,DO & get it registered.

vi)Restoration of Commuted pension,thanx to our intervention,clarity in thinking prevailed,as many even in Offices thought falls due after 5/2010 only & then came a CO Circular ER/A/Pension dt 8/10/2008 enclosing earlier CO CircularZD/836/ASP/95 dt 7/8/1995 with clear conditions  spelt out & cases falling earlier from 11/2008 were also paid due attention.Now it is fairly regularized.

vii) Many were surprised when they learnt AIRIEF has submitted a Charter of Demands for Pensioners ! Indeed it was necessary as unfulfilled, emerging & out-of-the-box thinking problems & issues have been nicely incorporated therein.

viii)An impossible ,never-to-dream Golden Jubilee celebration of cash award of Rs3000 in lieu of Gold coin,thanx to RIEA, Jaipur so meticulous in  deep analysis & removal of any anamoly or discrepancy for pensioners cause & AIRIEF efforts

ix) Gratuity arrears for Class I retired 1/4/93-31/7/94 with SI 10% on the basis of historic SCourt verdict.12/2/08 & CO Circular 19/3/08.

x) AIRIEF was able to press management to restore cashless service for mediclaim,which facility , earlier available was mercilessly removed by a stroke of the pen wef 1/4 /2004. We also pursued  with LIC Management to ensure maximum benefits arising out of  pro-Elders report on Health Insce by the IRDA Committee constituted for that purpose. AIRIEF also offerred valuable suggestions to the Committee before & after publication too .Many of our suggestions were accepted & included in the report..

B)xi)You are aware of  the historic victory of AIRIEF in partnership with Kozhikode Class I Officers' Assn,who diligently & valiantly pursued this case for 6 years 1^st & after success by a Single judge verdict, when LIC decided  to go in for appeal,the 2 Member Bench also dismissed LIC appeal at Kerala HC. Yet, LIC persisted in appeal to SC in the form of SLP & after another 2 yrs, SC gave its historic judgement against LIC & awarding that Class I Officers retired during 1/4/1993 to 31/7/1994 will be eligible for difference in Gratuity after implementing the then wage revision. So, it was a Saga of Sacrifice

LIC CO Circular dt  18 March,2008 for payment with SI of 10%,procedural matters & proof etc spelt out therein. Such was the involvement that no time was wasted in pressuring management & all will agree this has resulted in a good bonanza for all eligible as SI of 10%  allowed exceeded  principal arrears totalling a respectable amount for the recipients.

xii)We were proud to announce that as a result of Civil Writ Petition 1128 of 1997 filed by our late Sri MLGandhi(Retd Dy ZM) & Others for quashing Rule 9 of LIC Class I (Revision of terms & conditions) Amendment Rules 1996 re Gratuity,the Hon HC of Punjab& Haryana delivered verdict ,in favour of the Petitioners ,on 4/7/2008  at Chandigarh,quoting Hon Supreme Court Judgement dt 12/2/08 in Civil Appeal 1289 of 2007 with directions to Respondents to grant consequential benefits ,irrespective of date of retirement ,on revised pay within 3 months.

AIRIEF lost no time & Sri MLGandhi sent Memorandum to LIC Chairman stressing extending difference in gratuity payment to Officers retired between 1/8/1992—31/3/1993 & to be on safe side filed Caveat Petition also on 3/9/08. Chairman  allowed & CO  issued instructions to pay difference in Gratuity with SI of10% vide Per/ER/A/G-68/1  dt 19/9/08

xiii)AIRIEF evolved as a dependable treasure-house of information based on reliable data. It became possible to develop a roadmap to reach the promised land of legitimate comfort & grace with the greying days post retirement. AIRIEF was & is the watchdog of all pensioners problems for reaching a reasonable & respectable  settlement  on many matters vital to the collective interests & welfare of entire Pensioner Fraternity

We do not want to count on the burden of responsibility.We want to earn your blessings.

xiv)There were many moments of  lament, of disenchantment, of frustration. But still, undaunted, unmindful of the long voyage ahead, we immersed ourselves in the unfathomable depth of the most complicated ,most time-consuming, hardest ,knotty problem to crack,that of Pension Upgradation with 100 % DR,same as for Employees.It will be difficult to recount the ups & downs, the trials & tribulations,the resistance,the single-track mind of the Powers that be, in spite of a clear realization of the gravity of the situation, the anamolies that abound, & yet immovable to seek & solve the problem in favour of the elders.

xv)a)AIRIEF devoted all efforts & energy ,with a single-minded devotion in the preparation of Tables & Charts ,LOSS of PENSION CHART which clearly brought out the gaping anamolies, distortions  in pension of various cadres  ,Ready Reckoners, pointing out the anamolies ever-increasing charter after charter.We dissected the Basic Pension, DR for various Grades Asst to ED, clearly pointing out that within 1^st & 2^nd Wage revision after the Pension Rules came into being, AAO getting more pension than pre-8/97 ED, then Asst getting more pension than pre 8/97 ED, &  after 3^rd wage revision 1/8/2007-31/7/2012, even  a RC securing  more pension than pre-8/97 ED. Comparative charts supported by data & statistics were circulated to LIC management & Ministry of Finance.

b) We undertook tours, several visits to Mumbai meeting top management, having dialogues with them to understand reality.We had liaison with RBI, SBI, United Forum of Bank Assns, AllIndia Govt Pensioners' Fedn. We met MOF Officials many times. Many MPs were mobilized at several places.We had informal talks with LIC Board Members. AIRIEF was quick to update all data after every wage talks finalization.

xvi)Our marathon meeting with the then Chairman Sri GNBajpai for 110 mts produced some favouarable change in thinking resulting in LIC Board resolution 24/11/2001 recommending a package of Rs6-8 crores. We relentlessly followed up, expressed our view for betterment of that formula,removing some lacuna , with pension upgradation & fitment weightage. We directed our focus on MOF, met Under-Secretary & Joint Sy several times.Our patience & persistence atleast paid some dividends in the form of a letter from UnderSy, MOF, dt 10/4/2002 that pension upgradation is under consideration & requesting GIC/GIPSA to give their views in merger of DR wef 1/8/97 with BP, again a merger of revised DR with New BP at 1/8/2002 to arrive at New BP as at that point of time.This was a clear opening.

xvii)AIRIEF then prepared the Loss of Pension charts since beginning for all cadres & it was a great eye-opener & mindboggling.We highlighted in all EC/GCmeetings when Special Chief Guests,Labour leaders,other Organisation representatives  & LIC dignitaries are present.We made no secret of it, shared in our valuable House Magazine, Varistha Vaani being released at regular intervals. We did not rest with these. We knew if a thrust & forward movement was needed, we must mobilize ,collect Court Cases in our favour.  A massive , unprecedented collection, collation was made for a forceful & aggressive presentation from legal standpoint.Marathon interchange & exchange of quick emails ,unmindful of unease & discomfort, physical & mental,at this advanced age , all for a labour of love & sacrifice was done for a holistic presentation to remove all deficiencies.

  xviii) Enhancement of Basic Exgratia to pre-1986 Retirees who get pittance of Rs300 pm or to grant  Medical assistance, on the pattern of RBI ,ranging from Rs3000pm to Rs5600pm for different  categories,lowest to highest.   A paltry rise is now granted to exgratia retirees & a small dose to  Spouse/dependants with DR too.Recently,after Govt approval, LIC increased exgratia to Rs350+DR,&  CMB-Cash Medical Benefit  of RS1000pm  wef  21/7/2014.Spouses secure a rise Rs 175 +DR  & CMB of Rs500 with DR

xix)AIRIEF is fighting  for Pension upgradation with 100% DR to secure the right to pension revision with every wage revision. Look at RBI , 6^th Pay Commn with improvements accepted, a bonanza. Minimum Pension becomes Rs4060 as against Rs2813 earlier. Maximum Pension , not Pay, rises to a whopping Rs52,200 as against Rs33075 before.We are all in 4^th Pay Commn mode ! 20 years behind. We have emphasized that Sr Citizens should not be treated as Secondary Citizens. Even if we are not VIPs,we cannot be treated as UIPs-UnImportant Persons.

 xx)Improvement in Family Pension  to 30% of Basic Pay, instead of present graded FP ,which is very low & thus to eliminate restrictive Appendix  V . Govt FP is much higher than LIC Regular  Pension ! When we get a pittance of FP ranging fromRs1100 –Rs5200 +DR for Asst to ED level,Govt FP jumps to Rs18,000 +DR,look at this LIC homemaker Lilluputian & Govt Brobdignanian !!

xxi)Weightage under Rule 27, as they receive proportionate reduced pension only.Already everywhere minimum 20 years of service is implemented.Then why not be gracious is what we ask LIC & MOF.Earlier, Govt gave addition of 5 years notionally to benefit such pensioners.Here too, Jaipur cases are pending & will be taken up after we heave a sigh of relief  & celebrate ,when SC Bench upholds Equity & Equality & brands discrimination as violation of Fundamental Rights enshrined in Constitution granting us the much-needed & much-sought pension upgradation & Full DR with appropriate effective dates soon

xxii)We are continuously pleading with LIC to constitute Consultative Committee to resolve grievances of pensioners,as part of HRD endeavours,especially when for every other class it exists.Other Pensioner Fedns have such an outlet for face to face meeting.Plus SBI went further & issues Qly House Journal SECOND INNINGS,rightly christened , under SrGM HRD  aegis a beautiful,qualitative HM indeed .WHY NOT  our VARISTHA VAANI go online then?

xxiii)Many were surprised when they learnt AIRIEF has submitted a Charter of Demands for Pensioners ! Indeed it was necessary as unfulfilled, emerging & out-of-the-box thinking problems & issues have been nicely incorporated therein.We released updated, enhanced content COD 24 Page Booklet titled Our Expectations—Health, Happiness, Harmony in our 8^th GC Meeting ,Ahmedabad 1 & 2^nd November, 2012

xxiv)Court cases  have reached a pinnacle.We never looked back after historic & unique Hon SJBhandaris judgement allowing both the writs of Sri KMLAsthana  6676/1998 & 654/2007 on pension upgradation.So many forward movements  regularly winning & one step forward always  was hailed by entire pensioner fraternity though pinpricks came in the form of lopsided DR only School believed & perpetuated   running for meetings with LIC Top Mgt & even MOF Sy DFS. We articulated in no uncertain terms not only in KURUKSHETRA Booklet released on 2^nd Nov 2012 at AIRIEF , Ahmedabad GC but also in various Articles & dissertations.Delay & dither from LIC/MOF always take place. Wheels of judicial machinery move slowly.All eyes & ears are on final outcome on 12/11/2014 with SC Bench.With bated breath, we look at the final results.Even when crucified at the altar of justice,fighting vigorously & valiantly ,for a justifiable & justiciable cause of all pensioners' fraternity,which we,AIRIEF proudly proclaim as none else has done in a wholesome manner for evolving a complete & satisfactory solution, not a truncated one only for 100 % DR. What a wonderful day it will be for ALL Groups of pensioners,pre-8/1997 & post.8/1997 too.An optimist invented the aeroplane;a pessimist invented the parachute.We are optimists & pragmatists. Let there be a new dawn,after all the years of dusk; let there be light at the end of the tunnel after all these darkness hitherto. Let this landmark judgement bring cheer & smile in the hearts & minds of all insurance pensioners.Let AIRIEF  be a testimony for ALL pensioners to be rid of the yoke  of a restrictive Appendix IV formula & a liberation in the form of a pension revision every 5 years

C )1)Our persistent efforts to improve the lot  & WELFARE of all pensioners, for so long,years I must say,actually near 2 decades ,continues unabated.

*When we are sure of the correctness, truthfulness,genuineness of our demands,        

*when we have placed before LIC Management the modest,legitimate aspirations of a vast body of pensioners,                                                                                               

*when we dinned into their ears all through & all along,the growing, gaping, unbridgeable anamolies charter after charter,                                                                        

*when we sweated & prepared laborious,painstaking charts & calculations with outlayetc

 *when we attempted all modes & means to achieve our noble plea & request to enlightened management,      
*when we highlighted it in ever so many forceful ways in our valuable  mouthpiece, Varistha Vaani , 

*when we made all plans & strategies to see that questions on this subject are raised in Parliament,

*when at many places activists met then Minister of State for Finance, several Ministers who matter, influential MPs ,Rahul Gandhi, Hon Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dinsha Patel, Chaudhary, earlier LIC Board  Members,  & nownew LIC Board Members, Smt Nirmala  Sitaraman, Sri Venkaih Naidu,many MPs from Andhra Pradesh close to Powers that be, 23 August 2014, MOF Sy FS Dr G.S.Sandhu  & Sy Pensions Sri --------- submitted Pithy Petitions & Memorandums with facts & figures & urgent need for redressal

               

We felt a sense of disappointment, the lack of commitment & aggressiveness on the part of management, the submissive ,retracing steps pursued by them, sure of the logic of demand & convinced of the correctness of our cause,  but unable to fulfil  the AIRIEF well laid-out plan ,                                  yet some ray of hope, some lateral thinking, some bombardment, some reinforcement, perennial telephone talks to keep the problem alive without being thrown out & forgotten in the dead dustbin of history,
                  Let us hope & pray 2015  atleast brings  respite to this long drawn-out struggle& PROCLAIMED & DESERVED VICTORY for ALL groups of pensioners

D)Many would have noticed slowly & steadily  ,over the years,

 --the quantity & volume of activities of AIRIEF –ALL INDIA RETD INSCE  EMPLOYEES FEDN ,of all classes of retirees,

--the quality & texture of our operations ,

--the width & breadth of our coverage,

--the persistence & patience of our endeavours

--the enlightened communication we do to pensioners silently but assertively,

--the multi-dimensional approach to pensioners issues

 --the search for pensioners woes & grievances & highlighting them in appropriate fora

-- the extent of pain, labour, effort, energy, money & sacrifice spent for & on behalf of pensioners,considering them as sacred & our responsibility,many new entrants to pensioners category &new RIEAs  might not have heard or witnessed, & we expect reciprocity

--after that landmark,historic Hon Justice Bhandaris  judgement dt 12/1/2010 CLEARING POSITIVELY THE TWIN ISSUES OF 100% DR for pre-8/97 pensioners & pension revision for all groups after every wage revision

--the wide network we built up, the rapport with LIC Board members continuously & assiduously for the last many years,& in future too.even to get the names of LIC Board Members is so difficult, &

--the important meeting with then Hon FM on 5/7/2010,influential Congressman & Ahmedabad Office Bearers

 --the classic independent opinion of 2 pages of the beaconlight of legal jurisprudence,99 yr old Hon Senior Judge(Retd)Supreme Court,Justice VRKrishna ,who died recently , to then FM Pranab Mukerjee, forcefully asking for honouring the judgement in f/o pensioners,

 --our Qly House Magazine & Mouthpiece  Varistha Vaani, with valuable info, charts & developments, health tips , humour ,LIC progress,RIEA meets & photographs depicting AIRIEF Motto-Relax,Reflect,Recapture--Peace,Serenity & Dignity

-for which alone we are fighting ,waging a long drawn-out legal  battle,but hopeful, optimistic & pragmatic in view of a flood of case laws in our favour & support garnered & presented like pearls of wisdom to buttress our strong arguments with facts & figures,comparative charts & incisive analysis & above all even a spate of recent SC Verdicts all in pensioner s  favour

--read & benefit by the reality of the burning issues portrayed & presented as powerful Resolutions to be presented to LIC Mgt & concerned Authorities & methodical  fup,

E) i)AIRIEF in its chequered  18 year history,Child to Infant to Adult,so to say,started  walking, running & now STAGE to GALLOP like an Australian Kangaroo

                OF COURSE, AIRIEF has an IMPRESSIVE VARIETY OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RECORDS & RELEASES, AS A REFERNCE-POINT & TREASURE-TROVE FOR POSTERITY

 

Who has released any SOUVENIR?

who has released A TREASURE OF BOOKLET KURUKSHETRA,52 pages?

who has released 24 PAGE CHARTER OF DEMANDS ?

 

WHO released CCC-Clippings, Collections & Compilations SERIES No 120 by March 2014,denoting historic,consecutive, unbroken record of 10 years,covering pension,legal cases, economic,financial, LIC, political, international,Quotes & Humour 

 

WHO HAS RELEASED PENSIONERS EMAILS & FEEDBACK FORTNIGHTLY SERIES 92, ie3 yrs 10mths already.

 

WHO HAS RELEASED ARTICLES OR DISSERTATIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS OR COUNTER AFFIDAVIT OR POINTS FOR ADVOCATES or SLP Rejoinders  etc in such great DETAILS as a PERMANENT COMPENDIUM & REFERENCE

 

WHO HAS MET CHAIRMAN & TOP MGT & SECURED SOME GOOD CONCESSIONS FOR RELEASE OF CO CIRCULAR AFFECTING PENSIONERS ON SAME DAY?

 

WHO HAS MET ZM & OTHER IMPORTANT OFFICIALS & got SO MANY CONCESSIONS & BENEFITS  to SO MANY, SO EASILY & REGULARISED  & CELEBRATED FOUNDERS' DAY ON 16/9/2014,CHENNAI  SZM INNOVATIVE IDEA

 

WHO HAS PREPARED ELABORATE as also SUMMARY of  ISSUES IN HCs/SC & ever so many positive & favourable verdicts to LIC Board Members

 

Who has prepared MEMORANDUM to IMPORTANT OPINION LEADERS,LIC Board Members , POLITICIANS,FM,PM to SPEED UP PENSION Upgradation settlement?

 

WHO has spoken consistently on VITAL ISSUES to forewarn LIC TOP MGT FOR CONSIDERATION on Family Floater Policy, extension of date for Optional SA Option,pleading for TPA ID Cards for CASHLESS SERVICE & Extension of Hospitals .

ZM,RMOS at ZOHqrs & CO Chairman, MD, EDP, Chief P, Sy P & COOS now for Pensioners Data, ZO wise, DOwise & Totals, Pensioners Portal for which we gave exhaustive & useful 4-Page Suggestions for incorporation for Pensioner-friendly data retrieval

 

ALL THESE WE DO ONLY WITH THE CONCERN OF WELFARE & PROGRESS OF 47000 PENSIONERS & TO ENSURE FAIR & QUICK REDRESSAL OF THEIR PROBLEMS.

THAT DESIRE & PASSION must be AT THE PIT OF YOUR STOMACH. MERE COMPASSION NOT DEMONSTRATED through ACTION IS OF NO USE, IT IS NO BETTER THAN CROCODILE TEARS.

 

                ii)The principles & practices enunciated & pleaded  by AIRIEF ,therefore, points out to absolute sincerity & sticking to basic & fundamental postulates ,demanding High Courts pronunciations without ambiguity.  It should be an honourable solution for the Elders who stood like a Rock of Gibralter,laying foundation, superstructure, shaping all policies, embarked on Reorganization, a major successful venture, best Training,HRD & Marketing practices ,timely introduction & extension of Computer services & laying transparent accounting & other standards unparalleled in annals of any institution.        

                iii)   Their sweat & toil during long ,dedicated years of service & their devotion & dedication for the last near 2 decades, in spite of trials & tribulations,lack of resources,lack of mobility, disabilities of old age,visits & talks at many levels, continuous followup ,should be recognized & rewarded.So, commonsense, logic & unassailable contradictions , ambiguities, paradoxes must make the High Courts & Supreme Court  sit up & award both upgradation of pension,which alone can render meaning & significance to DR rise & 100% DR.  Deprivation for so many years has risen skyhigh with DA ,DR difference per slab going up with every 5 year wage charter.

iv)The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.That is what we are doing. People don't grow old; when they stop growing, they become old. So,we appeal to you, in all humility, to join us by enrolling yourselves & your friends& affiliate your Association with AIRIEF .as Members of this representative organization of yours to help us to help you in the common task of upliftment of all pensioners & family pensioners in our sincere & serious attempt to age gracefully. Names of  Stalwarts who steer the affairs of AIRIEF at various places are found on the left hand side of the  LetterHead, also with their Telephone no for easy approach & clarification.

v) AIRIEF is a large tree, EC is the Trunk, RIEAs-Retd Insce Employees'Assn at grassroot level are the limbs & branches & out of this mosaic of peaceful co-existence comes out the results –the flowers & the fruits. Let there be a new dawn, after all the years of dusk; let there be light at the end of the tunnel after all these darkness hitherto.

              vi) Past is Experience, Present is Experiment, Future is Expectation

We are using our experience in our experiments to get our expectations.

We need not do extraordinary things, but we can do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.

As Indira Gandhi said. ' the difference between ordinary & extraordinary is that little Extra. '

vii)On 5/12/2016, AIRIEF completes   a landmark 2 Decades 20 years,long enough in its decorated journey,all of us here & elsewhere as part & parcel of RIEA/AIRIEF must take a Sankalpa ,like Bhishma who takes a vow  & fulfils it,must legitimately consider as an important limb & contributor, a Profit Centre, not a Cost centre.Equally, we must remind ourselves that like Hanuman, we have not realized our true potential,rediscover, understand that we must be alive to happenings & events ,rise to the occasion, enlarge the membership significantly & make Young Turk pensioners   as invaluable OBs & Contributors & Makers of DESTINY.26 months remain, reinvent, reengineer, radiate a communication crusade, confined to a smaller numbers now, but hereafter must resonate & like a stone thrown in a pond spreads in concentric circle to all corners .

 

Pl.Visit  airiefvision.wordpress.com