AIRIEF/2026-27/Cir. No. 006

 

Date: 30th October 2026

All members of Pensioners' units affiliated to AIRIEF

Time and again, a need was felt to strengthen our Mumbai unit as the place is epicenter of all activities of our mighty Corporation including the welfare of the pensioners. We were exploring the possibility of an appointment of Sr. level Officers in the Central Office and coinciding this visit, we wanted to meet the Mumbai unit OBs. Since this meeting with Sr. Officials was not coming up for long, we decided to visit Mumbai and attend a meeting.

It was in this pursuit that Mr MP Agnihotri, Mr VS Sikarwar and I visited Mumbai on 26th and 27th October. On 26th October 2026, we had a meeting with the core group of Mumbai Unit members. This meeting with Mumbai team also aimed at giving the unit a hand-holding support and infuse in them the necessary thrust to meet the Sr. Officials on our advice to pursue our matters. We introduced them to some of the retired/serving senior officials in the Central Office who assured us of giving help whenever required. It was an assurance deserving our extolment as never in the past that we received such a whole-hearted assurance.

After our meeting with the team of Mumbai Unit, we took a chance to meet the ED (P), without an appointment but she was occupied with her pre-fixed engagements. Needless to say, she already had a meeting with OBs of another fraternal association which has circulated a 'Charter of demands' submitted by them.

As the CEO cum MD and other MDs were away from Mumbai this day, we met the Secretary (ER) who is the one person who has deep insight and authority on pensionary and Mediclaim matters. We had discussion on the following matters:

• 1.
  Mediclaim related issues:

  • a.
    There are cases where the Corporate Hospitals are allowing discounts to TPA, but the benefit is not passed on to the claimant who is forced to pay that amount before discharge of the patient. It was clarified that in such cases, the benefit has to be passed on to the claimant member. If the insurer/TPA is not doing so, such cases should be brought to the notice of ER Dept., Central Office. The members are advised to obtain bills or copy of the treatment and refer the matter to CO if the benefit of discount is denied by the TPA.
  • b.
    In the matter of Robotic Surgery for Joint Replacement, we informed him that though such surgeries are recommended and performed by the Doctors the cost thereof is denied by the TPA and the bill is settled for a conventional surgery. He responded positively and advised such case to be brought to the knowledge of the Central Office.

The Zonal Secretaries may gather information about such cases and arrange to send a representation by the pensioner concerned and send an advance copy to us for further needful in the matter to be done at our end.

• 2.
  In the matter of Pension/Compassionate Allowance to the Dev. Officers who are terminated on the ground of work norms, it was advised that such an aggrieved Development Officer has to submit the application to the Zonal Office through the Divisional Office where each case would be considered and Pension/Compassionate Allowance would be granted by the Zonal Office. Our Zonal Secretaries are advised to collect information in respect of such cases and share with us the same with full details.

On 27th Oct., we contemplated to meet Shri R. Chander, Managing Director, without a prior appointment and discuss the issues which may provide immediate financial relief, particularly to the super senior pensioners. We had carried with us a seven-point letter (not a charter of demands) and each of them had an element of pecuniary gain in it as we considered pecuniary gain alone would satisfy the hunger pangs of our belly more than anything else. The points are:

• 1.
  Increase in Basic Pension on attaining age 80 years and thereafter every five years,
• 2.
  Full pension up to notional age 67 years of deceased pensioner,
• 3.
  Calculation of Basic Pension on the basis of average emolument or last drawn pay, whichever is beneficial to pensioner,
• 4.
  Cash medical benefit,
• 5.
  Apprenticeship period of Dev. Officers' for determining qualifying service,
• 6.
  Pension to Dev. Officers terminated on ground of work norms, and
• 7.
  Pension Updation.

We must extol the kind gesture of ED (E&OS) who took us to Shri R. Chander, MD, and arranged an interface with him. Despite his engagements after return from MTR meeting, he spared time to give us a patient hearing on our matters which we started with periodical increase in pension on attaining age 80 years as this we emphasized as the group of the worst sufferers monetarily. We focused our discussions on matters which rested with LIC's initiatives of taking up with the DFS as also those already lying there.

However, in our opinion, the CO officials are averse to talking to the pensioners' Associations in splinters. He also gave a piece of advice when he asked as to why all the Pensioners’ organizations cannot unite and come to them unitedly. The message was loud and clear as to what he meant. We concluded the meet with word of thanks to him. He advised ED (E&OS) to attend to us and liaise our meeting with the dealing officials at CO. We met the MD to apprise him of our plight and to seek his intervention to mitigate the same, particularly on the issues which were already recommended by LIC management and pending consideration at DFS.

With some time in hand, we met many other EDs and Sr. Officials, whom we knew from our active service days, and endeavored to impress upon them the need to support our legitimate demands in whatsoever manner they can.

The gains of our visit may not be visible instantly but it will hopefully pave the path for the accelerated resolution of our issues in coming days. Let’s stay hopeful.

With best wishes for upcoming festive season,

( Ranjan Dey Sarkar ) General Secretary