INCOME TAX PENSIONERS FEDERATION
A/2/95
Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi.
110027
Website:
itpfchq.blogspot.com.
E mail.
Address. itpfchq@gmail.com
Dated:
23.2.2017.
Dear Comrades,
The 2nd
Annual convention of the Baroda Unit of the Income tax Pensioners Association
was held at Baroda on 19th December, 2017. The function was organized at a specially
erected Pandal at the I.T. Premises. Besides the members of ITPA Baroda Unit
some active workers of ITEF also took part in the function. The open session
was presided over by Com. Umesh Mehta and Com. P.M.Shukla. the welcome address
was delivered by Com. J.N.Patel, Secretary of the Unit. The Chief Guest was
Shri. R.K. Jain Chief CIT Baroda, who inaugurated the session.
Com.KKN
Kutty Secretary General ITEF addressed the gathering. Those who greeted the
convention included Com. K.R. Jadeja, President ITGOA Gujarath. Com. K. Sivakumar, Joint Secretary ITGOA,
Com. Deepak Bhat, President ITEF Gujarath Unit. Com. Ganesh Joshi Addl
Secretary ITEF Gujarath Circle. Com. Shukla proposed the vote of thanks. Com. Umesh Mehta in his Presidential
address requested all to co-operate to ensure that all IT Pensioners become
members of the unit. Com. P.V. Ramachandran, vice president ITPF and com. C.M.
Badola, Finance Secretary were also present on the occasion. The function was
followed by a dinner hosted by the ITPA Baroda Unit.
We have
been informed by the Mumbai Unit that the full fledged General Body meeting of
the said Unit will be held at Mumbai on 22nd March, 2017. The drafted constitution of the Unit would be
subjected to discussion at the meeting and with modification on the basis of
the suggestions would be accepted. The 2nd General Body meeting of the
Income-tax Pensioners Association, Tamilnadu is scheduled to be held in the
month of April, 2017. The Committee has
circulated the revised bye laws and constitution to suit to the requirements of
the Registrar of Societies of that state. As mentioned in our earlier circular
letter, the Tamilnadu Unit has evolved a faster and better communicative system
amongst their members. The same is under
trial. On its becoming successful, we
shall share the modus operandi to all units.
The
Circular letter issued by the NCCPA is enclosed. This gives details of the proceedings of the
meetings the Staff Side JCM had with the Sub committee.III of the NPS
Committee.
The
sub-Committee of the National Secretariat will meet by the end of March,
2017. We are in the process of
consulting the committee members for the exact date. The Committee will discuss the probable
venue and date for the next full fledged meeting of the National
Secretariat. If any of the units is
willing to host the meeting, they may kindly inform us before the sub committee
meets.
With
greetings,
Yours
fraternally,
K.K.N.Kutty
Secretary
General
Copy
of NCCPA circular letter dated 20th
Feb. 2017.
Dear Comrade,
On 10th February 2017, the Sub Committee 3 met the
Staff Side JCM. As you are aware, the Government had set up a committee to
streamline the NPS on the recommendations of the 7th CPC. On a plain reading of the 7th
CPC comments on NPS. It would be evident that the commission wanted the Govt to
go into various grievances/ complaints raised by the stake-holders. The
Commission had pointedly referred to the pension(Contributory) System prevalent
in various other countries and the need for a minimum guarantee on the investments.
The Staff Side had therefore nursed the hope that though the contributory
system may not be scrapped the Govt. might bring about necessary changes so
that the subscribers would be able to have a minimum guaranteed pension. In
fact the official side had assured the
S/s in an earlier meeting that the benefit of annuity would not be less than
the earlier defined pension benefit.. In other words they had expressed that
the annuity would be more than 50% of the last Pay drawn. The Parliamentary
Committee, which considered the PFRDA bill had opined that the subscribers must
be provided with such a guarantee. The committee was headed by Shri. Yeswant
Sinha , former Finance Minister and BJP MP. The UPA II Govt. rejected this
demand while passing the Bill for which BJP voted in favour. Despite all these
happenings one still nurses the
hope. That is what optimism is all about.
In the
first meeting of the committee chaired
by the secondary Pension, Staff Side was given an opportunity along with
many others to present their case. There had been many who had gate crashed
into that meeting, mostly the Associations representing all India and organised
Group A services. Every one of the spoke and spoke elaborately of the various
facets and defects of the Scheme, but not suggesting any
remedial measures. To a specific
quarry, the spokesperson of the Finance Ministry categorically stated that no
guaranteed minimum pension could be stipulated and quoted the provisions to
that effect in the Act itself. In our last circular we had enclosed the copy of
the submissionsmade by the Staff Side.
During the deliberations of the Sub Committee 3 also Staff side has
presented its views on various queries raised by the official side. A copy of
the Staff Side letter is enclosed. The official side has made it categorically
clear that it was not in their province
to make any changes in the basic features of NPS and therefore no guaranteed
pension or annuity could be offered.
The
significant feature of the discussion was as to how to import the punitive
provisions of the CCS(pension) Rules 1972, when an individual employee is
proceeded against under the CCS(CCA) Rules. The Staff Side has categorically
and emphatically pointed out that the contributory Pension Scheme is a financial
transaction between the employer
and the employee and the money so
collected stands transferred to the
investment company, with clear
instructions on the pattern of
investment. In that situation, it
would not be possible for any party to amend or rescind any of the instructions
issued to the investment company or withhold the proceeds thereof. The sub-committee will now make over its
report in all probability without giving any cognizance of the staff side view
as they have done in the case of Option No. 1
As we had
indicated in our earlier communication, in the case of option No. 1 which has
been rejected by the pension Department stating the most untenable argument of
infeasibility, we are left with no option but to knock at the doors of courts.
As a preliminary measure we must now collect the names of those persons who
would stand to benefit if option No.1 is implemented. Before we decide to file
the Secretariat of NCCPA will discuss
the matter and will take appropriate decision.
In the meantime
as you are aware the CGEs under the banner of Confederation will be on Strike
on 16.03.2017 inter alia raising the issue of Option No.1 and NPS. We must
express our solidarity and support to the striking workers. We may suggest that
in all state capitals the affiliates of NCCPA may jointly organise demonstrate
in front of an identified Central Government office by wearing badges with the
following inscription on it.
Allow Option 1. For Pension Fixation
Exclude CGEs from NPS
With greetings,
Yours
fraternally,
K.K.N.Kutty
Copy of letter from the Secretary staff Side
to the Chairman, Sub-Committee III of NPS Committee.
No.NC-JCM-2016/Pension (NPS) dated 10th Feb. , 2017
The Chairman,
Sub-Committee III on NPS
Dept of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare
3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market,
New Delhi
Dear Sir,
Thank you
very much for your letter No 57/2016-P&PW(B) dated 31st January
2017 and the decision to reschedule the meeting at our request.
We find
from your letter cited that the Committee set up by the Government to
streamline the NPS has delegated the task to different Sub-Committees and we
are before the Sub-Committee No III. Since the identified task of each
subcommittee is not made known, nor even as to how such many sub committees are
set up, we may not be able to make a comprehensive presentation on NPS. On 20th
January 2017, we had made a written presentation of our views in the matter. We
attach the said letter to this communication and reiterate the views conveyed
therein.
1. The entire Central and State Govt
Employees of the Country must be excluded from
the purview of the NPS and consequently of PFRDA Act for the elaborate reasons
mentioned in our Memorandum to 7 CPC.
The National Pension Scheme
which is based on defined mandatory contribution from the employees was
introduced without causing any consultation with the employees organizations in
the JCM forum and amounts to unilateral and arbitrary withdrawal of an existing benefit, which is clearly
impermissible. We give hereunder our
comments on each of the issues raised in the letter cited.
2. Without compromising on the above
position,. We request that benefits defined under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972
as amended on date must be the pension and other entitlements in the case of
all Central And State Govt. employees. In other words, every employee who
retires after completion of 20 years of service must be given -
Pension @50% of the last pay drawn or average emoluments of the
last 10months whichever is
beneficial to the employee along with the appropriate Dearness Relief, subject
to the minimum pension under the Rules as is amended from time to time.
On his death as Pensioner, family members shall be entitled to
family Pension, subject to the specified minimum amount of family pension, stipulated by the Government from time
to time along with appropriate Dearness Relief. Besides, all persons on
retirement will be entitled to Gratuity as specified under extant Rules.
(A) Framing of
rules on service matters of NPS employees including the following:
(i) Provision
of an option for entitlements under old pension scheme on death, disability or invalidation during service
There cannot be a provision for
option. The stipulation of pensionary benefit afforded under the extant rules /
CCS(Pension) Rules be extended to them. The provisional pension benefit orders
issued by the Govt. is to be continued or made permanent.
Family for the purpose of payment of
annuity
Family definition must be as is
provided for the present CCS (Pension) Rules
(iii)
Contribution during suspension, extra ordinary leave (i.e. leave without pay), unauthorized absence
Contribution during suspension : 10%
of the subsistence allowance and Govt. contributes 10% of the entitled full
salary
Extra Ordinary leave – No contribution
Unauthorized absence – No contribution
iv) Entitlements/deductions
on dismissal / removal during service
Entitlement/deduction on
dismissal/removal during service – Return of the Contributions made by the
official and the Govt on his behalf. If he purchases an annuity by investing
the funds so received, the said annuity
must not be in any case less than 1/3rd of the last pay drawn by the dismissed/removed official.
(v) Withholding
of NPS funds due to departmental / judicial proceedings pending at the time of retirement.
Neither the Pension fund be withheld
nor the entitled defined benefit pension. In other words, pension must be
delinked from any disciplinary proceedings.
(vi) Departmental
proceedings after retirement for the alleged misconduct during service
It must not have any bearing on the
Pension entitlements of an official who is subscriber to NPS
(vii) Withholding
of annuity on account of future misconduct
Does not deserve any comment
(viii) Voluntary
retirement of NPS employees
Voluntary retirement is presently
afforded after 20 years of service. Therefore, the official will be entitled
for full pension
(ix) Commercial
employment of NPS employees after
retirement.
Must not have any bearing on pension
entitlement.
B. Provision
of GPF for the NPS employees
May be provided as a voluntary option
to all officials.
Thanking You,
Yours faithfully,
(Shiva
Gopal Mishra)
Secretary
Very glad to note that Baroda convention was held on 19th December 2017 repeat 19.12.2017.
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