NOTE ON 100% DR NEUTRALISATON FOR LIC PENSIONERS WHO HAD RETIRED PRIOR TO 1/8/1997

On Mon, Jul 31, 2023, 6:18 PM Sridharan G.N <oppilisri@gmail.com> wrote:  NOTE ON 100% DR NEUTRALISATON FOR LIC PENSIONERS WHO HAD RETIRED PRIOR TO 1/8/1997                                --------------*---------------      The hot news in circulation now is about the reported agreement reached between IBA and Bank pensioners' organisations on 100% neutralization for all pensioners including the pre 1/11/2002 retirees of banks.. It will be remembered that in our  (LIC pensioners) case  the cruel denial of 100% badly affected those who retired prior to   1 /8/1997.  It will certainly not be inappropriate to mention that we, LIc pensioners had certainly contributed to the govt ,coming  out of their slumber , albeit belatedly, to undo a patently gross injustice meted out to a section of pensioners in the financial sector on this issue. I have reason to be personally happy as I had the privilege of being at the helm of affairs when the Federation of Retired cl.1 officers' Associations (hereinafter referred to as 'federation ' in this write-up) took the pioneering action of bringing this problem on DR to judicial scrutiny.  It was indeed the first ever litigation initiated in the interests of pensioners by any organisation of LIC pensioners.     The following table would indicate the past events chronologically leading to the present stage when the govt.seems to have realised atlast that discrimination in the matter of DR between groups cannot stand.          Date                              Events  Nov -2007----------federation files WP 184/2007 in Delhi HC                               for quashing Rule 3A of LIC pension Rules                                 fixing differing basis on DR based on                                 dates of retirement.   30/1/ 2010-----    Delhi HC by its order r/w a  clarificatory                                 Order dt 25/2/2013 ALLOWS pettition                                based on a judgement of the Rajasthan                                 Hc (Jaipur Bench) in a similar writ filed by                                an individual pensioner shri .ML Asthana.  17/10/ 2013-----  Govt/ LIc files SLP 17726/2013 in the SC                                against Delhi HC jugement .SLP admitted                                 and was re-numbered as regular civil                                 appeal - CA 9223/2013. The appeal                                undergoes several adjournments during                                 the whole of 2014 to May 2015.  7 / 5/ 2015 *-------Evidently convinced of our complaint- of                                   Discrimination the SC orders 20%interim                               Relief to the affected group.  31/3/ 2016 *----- Appeal CA 9223/2013 disposed off by SC                                ordering remand of the matter to Delhi Hc                               for its specific finding on the validity of 3A.                               -- Court also orders another 20 % Int.relief.                               -- Federation permitted to make changes in                               our 2007 pettition to include updation                               also-- Other pensioners' organizations of                              LiC also permitted to enter the frey.  11/11/ 2016*----Delhi Hc delivers its SECOND judgement                                by which while finding our complaint on                               DR anamoly to be Valid but prescribes it's                                own formula for rectification. It did not                               bring about 100% neutralization fully.  After this judgement 5 associations including the federation have filed SLPs in 2017 in the SC stressing on updation of pension periodically in sync with wage revision for the in- service employees.  All these fresh set of SLPs are pending disposal till date.                             It would be  observed that under the orders in cases marked with asterisks in the above table some partial benefits had accrued to the concerned group of pensioners. While we have very nearly succeeded in our  doggedly pursued litigation in bringing about some relief , the fact remains that we have not achieved 100% neutralization fully to all pensioners No doubt a vast majority of pre 97 retirees are no more and any further action we take on analogy of the latest development inregard to the bank pensioners, the efforts would help a fairly good number of family pensioners.                             I  therefore appeal to the leaders ofthe various organisations of LIC pensioners to ask the LIC management to give effct to 100% neutralization for pre 99  retirees. It should also be stressed that since we stand already vindicated by judiciary ,ourr case should not be allowed to go by default ,.We certainly deserve precedence over banks on this particular issue atleast.    GN Sridharan   Advocate   Former Gen Secretary (Federations of  LIC class1 officers-   both in-service & Retired)