Delay in pension revision allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR for BSNL Pensioners/Family Pensioners

Delay in pension revision allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR for BSNL Pensioners/Family Pensioners

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
(A Government Of India Enterprise)
Corporate Office
(Pension Section)
5th Floor, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Janpath, New Delhi - 110 001

No.40-6/2011-Pen(B)

Dated: 24-03-2017

To
All Heads of Circles/Telecom Districts/Regions/Projects/Telecom Stores/Telecom Factories & Other Administrative Offices Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

Sub: Delay in pension revision allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR with Basic Pay/Pension to 78.2% DA/DR for BSNL Pensioners/Family Pensioners,who retired prior to 10-06-2013 - regarding.

Sir,
I am directed to forward herewith D.O.No.7-1/2013/TA-1/17/Pt./760 dated 07-03-2017 received from Member (Finance)-I/C, DOT, on the above mentioned subject, along with status of pension revision cases pending BSNL Unit-wise.

2. As directed by DOT in the aforesaid letter, all the Circles are requested to adhere to the timeline specified therein and submit complete pension papers and service books to the respective CCAs.

Encl: As above.

Yours faithfully,

(S.P.Bhatta)
Asstt.General Manager (Estt.I)
Tele.No.23037477

Prahlad Singh
Member (finance)-I/C
Tel No.23716161
Fax 23715762

Government Of India
Ministry Of Communications and
Information Technology
Department of Telecommunications

Sanchar Bhawan, 20, Ashok Road,
New Delhi - 110 001

Member (Finance) Telecom commission &
Ex-Officio Secretary to Govt. of India

D.O.No.7-1/2013/TA-1/17/Pt./760
Dated: 7th March,2017

I would like to bring to your attention the delay in the pension revision allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR with Basic/Pension to 78.2% DA/DR for BSNL pensioners/family pensioners, who retired prior to 10.06.2013. Though, the revision in all cases was to be completed by 31.12.2016 as per DoT HQ letter No.40-13/2013-Pen (T) dated 18.07.2016, there is still a huge pendency as on date and the BSNL employees welfare unions have been approaching DoT asking for early settlement of the same.

On review, it is seen that some units of BSNL are sending incomplete papers or are yet to send many of the cases to the CCA offices while there is also pendency in some of the CCA units also (copy of pendency status is enclosed). To complete the task in a structured time frame, concerted efforts both by the BSNL units and CCAs office is required. Target dates both for submission of pension papers and issue of PPOs has now been reviewed both for BSNL and CCA units, which is to be strictly complied to as per the timelines given below.

BSNL (submission of complete pension papers & service Books)		CCA (issue of revised PPOs)
Pre-2007	Post- 2007	Pre-2007	Post- 2007
15.03.2017	31.03.2017	31.03.2017	10.04.2017

You are requested to kindly give your personal attention for compliance of the target dates by the BSNL units, from you end.

with regards
Yours sincerely
Sd/-
(Prahlad singh)

Status of Revision of pension of BSNL Pensioners/Family Pensioners who retired prior to 10.06.2013 by allowing the benefit of merger of 50% DA/DR with Basic Pay/Pension effectively amounting to 78.2% DA/DR for the purpose of fitment. (as on 01.03.2017)

Signed Copy

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RESTORATION OF OLD PENSION SYSTEM IN PLACE OF CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SYSTEM

RESTORATION OF OLD PENSION SYSTEM IN PLACE OF CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SYSTEM

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES
RAJYA SABHA
UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 2130
TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 21, 2017/PHALGUNA 30, 1938 (SAKA)

RESTORATION OF OLD PENSION SYSTEM IN PLACE OF CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SYSTEM

2130. Shri T. G. Venkatesh

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that the newly introduced Contributory Pension System is not beneficial to the employees and so the employees unions are requesting Government to re-introduce the old pension system in its place, if so, the details thereof; and

(b) whether any representation has been received in this regard by Government, if so, the details thereof and the stand of Government in this regard?

ANSWER

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
(Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar)

(a) & (b) National Pension System (NPS), which is a contributory pension system, has, inter alia, the following features which benefit the employees:

• NPS is a well designed pension system managed through an unbundled architecture involving intermediaries appointed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) viz. Pension Funds, Custodian, Central Recordkeeping and Accounting Agency, National Pension System Trust, Trustee Bank, Points of Presence and Annuity Service Providers. It is prudently regulated by PFRDA which is a statutory regulatory body established to promote old age income security and to protect the interests of subscribers of NPS.
• Dual benefit of Low Cost and Power of Compounding: The pension wealth which accumulates over a period of time till retirement grows with a compounding effect. The all-in-costs of the institutional architecture of NPS are among the lowest in the world.
•  Tax Benefits: Tax benefits are available to the NPS subscribers under various provisions of the Income- tax Act, 1961.
• Transparency and Portability is ensured through online access of the pension account by the NPS subscribers, across all geographical locations and portability of employments.
• Partial withdrawal: Subscribers can withdraw up to 25% of their own contributions towards their pension account, before attaining superannuation age for certain specified purposes subject to certain conditions.

Representations have been received from certain quarters regarding the implementation of NPS which, inter alia, include the demand that NPS may be scrapped and the Government may revert to old defined benefit pension system. However, there is no proposal to replace the NPS with old pension scheme in respect of Central Government employees recruited on or after 01.01.2004.

Source: RAJYA SABHA

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Government gives nod to 200% hike in salaries of Supreme Court, High Court judges

Government gives nod to 200% hike in salaries of Supreme Court, High Court judges

New Delhi: The government has accepted the Supreme Court proposal for raising emoluments given to judges of the Supreme Court and high courts, commensurate with the recent hike in pay for central government staff. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) is the highest-paid functionary in the judiciary with his current monthly emoluments at Rs 1 lakh, excluding dearness and other allowances. This is likely to be raised to Rs 2.8 lakh, in addition to perks such as official residence, cars, staff and allowances as applicable.
The government has pegged the salaries of the chief justices of High Courts and Supreme Court judges at Rs 2.5 lakh per month, in addition to allowances, at the level of the cabinet secretary, the service chiefs and some constitutional functionaries such as the CAG and the CEC. The salary of an High Court judge has been pegged at Rs 2.25 lakh per month, same as that of secretary- level officers in the central government.

The hikes proposed by the Supreme Court committee have not been accepted in full. The three-judge panel had recommended a salary of over Rs 3 lakh per month for the CJI, besides other perks. The government has set the salary for the CJI at Rs 2.8 lakh per month, a little above what the cabinet secretary draws. The judges’ panel had also recommended a higher pension benefit for retiring judges. This again has been brought to the Seventh Pay Commission level in an equivalent grade.

A three-judge committee had given its recommendations to the government a few months ago with regard to salary hikes for judges. The recommendations were submitted soon after the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for central employees last year. A Cabinet note has been prepared and may be approved by the Union Cabinet soon, sources said. After the Cabinet clears the proposal, the law minister will bring a related judges’ salary amendment bill before Parliament.

Any change in judges salary and service condition has to be passed by Parliament. The salaries of judges of the high courts and the Supreme Court are revised every 10 years, almost on the lines of the hikes given to senior government functionaries.

TNN

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