INCOMETAX PENSIONERS FEDERATION.

ManishinathBhawan,

A/2/95 Rajouri Garden.

New Delhi. 110 027.

Website: itpfchq.blogspot.com

Email: itpfchq@gmail.com

Dear Comrade,

The National Sectt. meeting of the ITPF was held at Hyderbad as per the decision taken at Kolkata on 16^th April,2018. Contrary to the expectation, the attendance at the meeting was not at all encouraging. The arrangements made by the host unit, AP and Telengana Incometax Pensioners association was excellent.  The comfort of the delegates had been supreme in the mind and that was visible in every aspect of the arrangement.  Every State had bee given a vehicle so as to have  free mobility. The transport committee had made arrangements to pick up the delegates from the Railway Station/Airport and drop them comfortably.  Prior to the commencement of the  meeting,  the host unit had arranged a general meeting of the members of the AP and Telengana I.T. Pensioners association, which was well attended.

The sectt. meeting was held at the IT. Auditorium located at the I.T. tower.  The meeting commenced at 3.00PM under the chairmanship of Com.Umeh  Mehta.  Brief of the discussions  and decisions taken on each of the agenda item is given hereunder:-

1.       Registration:

Com.S.K.Sharma detailed  the crux of the interaction he had with the registration authorities.  He informed the house the Govt. has devised a new format for the application of the societies which has federal set up and all India character.   He will place the new format at the website.  It was also decided for the sake of convenience and easy communication, a whatsup group will be formulated which will consist only the members of the Sectt. No other postings other than the  matters related to ITPF will be placed in the said whatsup.   Com.S.K.Sharma will create group and administer the same. It was felt that such a group in the whatsup will facilitate the communication  amongst the members of the National Sectt.

2.       MACP scheme

 The latest  Supreme Court decision indicating that  the scheme  must be applied from 1.1.2006 was discussed at length.  The following decisions were taken

(a)    The number of beneficiaries of the supreme court decision, if it is universally applied.

(b)   Whether they will be prepared to contribute financially towards the cost of litigation 

(c)    A detailed circular will be issued by the ITPF CHQ to enable the members to understand the implication of the supreme court decision.

(d)   Both ITEF and NCCPA will be contacted for exploring the ways and means of filing a common petition before the Principal Bench of the CAT. 

3.       Organisational.

The conclusion after deliberation was that there had been not much progress after the last NE meeting at Kolkata. For making the State Unit vibrant and to improve the

Inter communication between the State/CHQ Sectt and the members, the following decisions were taken:

(a)    The State Unit/regional/branches will meet once in a month on a pre determined date to enable the members to assemble and interact. This is already happening in many  States  The experience in this regard of the Bengal, Baroda,  AP and Chennai Units is very good.

(b)   Many members expressed that the decision taken at the last meeting at Kolkata which makes it mandatory to meet in the National Sectt/National Executive once in three months would be a financial burden and must be reviewed.  After some discussions, it was agreed that the duration could be once in six months alternatively for the meeting of the Sectt. and National Executive.

(c)    The  State Units whenever they meet will inform the National Sectt. So, that, occasionally such meeting could be attended either by the Secretary General or the President. 

(d)   The next meeting of the National Executive will be at Chennai. The Tamilnadu Unit will finalise a date in the month of October/November as per their convenience taking into account the pooja holidays and diwali festival. If they  finalise the date it will help the outstation comrades to book their journey tickets comparatively cheap and plan their participation accordingly.

(e)   Com.S.K.Sharma will be in full responsibility for getting registration formalities completed by then.

(f)     The meeting noted that the next conference of the ITPF has already become due  and the same should be convened in the first quarter of 2019. The next meeting of the NE must decide upon the venue.   A financial committee under the Chairmanship of Com. Shantikumar, Vice President is decided to be set up. He will co-opt  other members in the committee.  It was also decided to bring out a souvenir  to commemorate the occasion of the next conference. 

4.       Finance:

In the absence of Com.C.M.Badola, who could not attend he meeting due to some pressing domestic difficulties the statement of accounts had not been submitted. The Secretary General informed the house that there is small balance in the account, even though no cash has been withdrawn for expenses.  Without some accumulation of funds, the activities to expand the base of the organisation would not be possible. It was, therefore,  decided that the units which are hosting the organisational meet, might try to save some funds and remit the same to the CHQ  to enable the accumulation of funds.  The Secretary General and the President  must visit and seek the help of the office bearers of ITEF in organising pensioners in Bihar, North West Region, Pune , so that  presence of the representatives of these units could be ensured at the next NE meeting.

5.       Journal subscription. 

Com.Secretary General narrated the difficulties faced by the NCCPA in bringing out the bulletin.   Unless the subscriber base is widened, the financial problems would not be possible to be sorted out.  The Kolkata meeting had decided that Com. Burman will be the intermediary between the ITPF Unit and the NCCPA in so  far as the journal subscription is concerned.  He has been requested to put out the bank account of Bengal Unit so that the members/state unit can directly remit the requisite amount of subscription to them  and they will in turn remit the same to NCCPA and keep track of the delivery of the journal to the subscribers, the intimation of its expiry  and other details.

6.       Accommodation: 

All State Units will make formal request to the respective Administrative heads to provide accommodation to the Pensioner Associations.  In case they encounter any difficulty in the matter, they might inform the CHQ . Com.Secretary General  was asked to take up the matter of allotting guest house facility to the pensioners  with the Chairman, CBDT.

7.       Problems discussed.

(a)    Conducting pension adalats.  The State Units will write to the Principal CCITs to conduct the adalats as per the directive of the DOPT.

(b)   Most of the Units are yet to provide the date in respect of the beneficiaries of Option NO.1.   This is required to take up the matter with the NCCPA.

(c)    Revision of Pension.   As per the SMS replies received by the CHQ.  It is found that the revision  has taken place in almost all places   but payment has not been effected due to the delay on the part of the Banks.  The problem is persisting  mostly in connection with the  State Bank of India.  The Secretary General will write to the SBI Pension Unit in this regard,if data is provided by the State Units.

(d)   The State Units may  make it a practice to open the Pension  room and ensure presence of office bearers on the last day of the month  so that they may be able to participate in the farewell function of the comrades, who retire on that day and approach them to be the members of the Association. They can help out the retirining personnel to ensure that all dues are paid to them by the Administration. 

(e)   In order to cement the fraternity amongst the pensioners, State/Region/Branch etc. kindly explore the possibility of conducting tour programmes for short durations.

(f)     On 15^th July , all State Units might convene a meeting of the Pensioner members to help them out to file the return of income .

(g)    It was decided that the CHQ should take up the matter concerning the exemption of pension from the purview of Income tax with the Government  and prepare a note as  to how  the present taxation policy in the matter is untenable.

(h)   CGHS  issues.  Many members who took part in the discussions  pointed out various difficulties faced by the pensioners in getting health care facilities from the CGHS. It was decided that the following State Units will prepare a note concerning the deficiencies , problems and difficulties faced by their members from the CGHS so that the CHQ can consolidate the same and prepare a comprehensive note for discussion with the Health Secretary.   The State units are requested to send the note by 31.7.2018.

1.       Chennai.

2.       Hyderabad

3.       Bangalore        

4.       Trivandrum

5.       MumbAI

6.       Ahamedabad,/Baroda

7.       Jaipur,

8.       Kanpur/Meerut/Lucknow

9.       Bhopal

10.   Kolkata

11.   Guwahati.

The meeting was concluded at 6.30PM Both the CHQ and the State Units who were present at the meeting profusely thanked the host unit for the excellent arrangements done by them  for conducting  a memorable meeting.  Com. President, in his concluding  remarks reiterated the necessity of making the CHQ financially viable to play its rightful role in the expansion of the organisation.

                With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

Sd/

K.K.N. Kutty

Secretary General.