Dear All LIC Pensioners,
1)Few days before,I spoke to Chief Per,CO. I reminded him of our earlier teletalk,where I had expressed sorrow that nobody cared for 1/8/2012 & later retirees as even their Wage arrears for the period in service was not paid.Retirement benefits too delayed & all these crucial matters should have been well-planned as never before for earlier wage settlements,such a neglect or undue delay took place .Chief responded that as programme was now given to all ZO/Dos,matter would have been attended to.
2)I then enquired the position of refixation of pension for such retirees as they have to receive Pension arrears too from 1/8/2012 after proper fixation.I suggested that all along we Pensioners Fedns have been pleading inequity in pension quantum calculated resulting in anomaly when existing formula is practiced, as few months fall before in earlier wage periods & some months in latest wage settlement.As AIRIEF has highlighted that anomalies of Seniors in service getting less than the juniors ,I requested that CO must adopt bold means to realize such anomalies & gracefully accept our suggestion that higher of the 2, last 10 months average basic pay or last drawn basic pay,whichever is higher must become the norm so that such persisting ,continuing discrepancies which are an eyesore must be removed once for all.When Govt ,RBI have done it,why not LIC.
Chief Per said that part is yet to be decided but fixation of Pension is being placed before the Board in April & after it is duly passed, LIC CO will issue circular to ZM/DMs to implement & settle pension with due arrears calculated.
3)i)I touched upon the issue of allowing Pensioners, who, for one reason or the other, could not gain entry into Mediclaim Scheme & it behooves an enlightened Institution like LIC to ensure that when FFP was started wef 1/7/2014 ,LIC did not allow,LIC enabled pensioners to choose Basic SA revised with 75 % Rebate & also higher OSA upto Rs 20 lacs.That time also OPTION was not given to see new entrants get that opportunity.When we approached CO to allow new entrants, answer was that adequate claim experience for the new scheme is needed & later they will check up whether to accept this suggestion
ii)I added now that LIC came out with a new circular dt 12 February 2016 offering New India agreeing for OSA to be enhanced to Rs 25 lacs & 30 lacs too & ALSO,pensioners can choose HIGHER OSA than what they had earlier adopted.I pleaded with Chief Per this was a golden opportunity to allow those who were left out & no risk cover for them & it should be the aim of CO to extend a helping hand to such pensioners,as they suffer in these hard days,with no cover under mediclaim.I also alluded to Sri CSMurtys RTI mammoth data of Premium collections ZO wise DO wise & also Claims in same manner& he has forwarded his findings to CO.Chief Per said New India talks of adverse claims experience & so that extension may not come now.I specifically asked him then why this new enhanced OSA so high , a very small % of pensioners & even employees may opt for.He said Mumbai,good numbers will choose.I said when LIC gave rebate from May 2010, one option to enter mediclaim in 2012 , 4 years are over. Ripe time now & 2016-17 rightly would have been ideal.During negotiations with NI now, this issue,I reiterated forcefully must come through in this Platinum Jubilee 60th year of LIC.
4)I then enquired about Pensioners Portal for pensioners, the ONLY class who don't have yet a PORTAL ,though AIRIEF gave useful, practical & valid suggestions, as early as 20/4/2012,4 years over.several reminders to CO, same reply entrusted to an external agency, shall take more time .Shortsighted critics, not knowing the full nuances & intricacies of the issue, may pooh-pooh about portal presuming innocuous ordinary matters on web already exist but we know better as activists & who shoulder responsibility & engineer such novel ideas for pensioners fraternity to experience a new wave of benefits with user name & password,when it comes through & is operationalised.We have to wait & give periodical pressure build up to expedite.
Greetings,
R.B.KISHORE
VP,AIRIEF
