INCOMETAX PENSIONER FEDERATION
Manishinath Bhawan
A/2/95 Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi. 110 027
Website: Itpf.blogspot.com
E mail. itpfchq@gmail.com
President: Com. Umesh Mehta
Secretary General. Com. K.K.N. Kutty
Dated: 24th August, 2021.
Dear Comrades,
In our last communication, we had conveyed the good news of our obtaining the registration for our organisation under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. We reproduce that letter as an annexure. The ITPF is now a registered society, registration bearing No. Society/West/2021/8902574 signed by the Registrar or Societies/Firms Distt. West Delhi. This will enable us to function as a legal entity and we are obliged to abide by the directions issued by the Government from time to time to regulate the functions of societies. This will entitle us to operate bank account; to own movable and immovable properties. We shall take steps soon to transfer the funds of the Federation presently lying the in the bank account jointly operated by the Secretary General and Finance Secretary. We once again convey our sincere gratitude to all those comrades, who helped us to obtain the certificate of registration.
I am very happy to inform you that our sustained efforts to get registration from the Registrar of societies, Delhi for our Organization ITPF has at last borne fruit.
We received the registration Certificate today on 19th August, 2021 at 3.45 PM and the same has been placed on our website underneath this letter as also on our whatsapp group. We have crossed one of the hurdles on our onward march.
I was at Delhi from 11th onwards to give a push to our efforts in this direction, which had been saddled with innumerable hurdles and delays due to Covid19 pandemic. I place on record the yeomen services rendered by our Vice President Com. S.K.Sharma for the efforts he has undertaken to prepare the documents, submit it to the office of the Registrar, make innumerable personal visits to that office, meet out objections to be patient in the face of propensities of Indian officialdom and hope that one day “we shall overcome” .
In the final stage it has been possible only due to the efforts undertaken by Com. Ashok Kumar Kanojia former all India President of ITEF. But for his assistance and determination to get things done the Certificate would not have been in our hands today. Let me convey our sincere thanks and gratitude to all our Comrades who Co-operated with the Secretariat in this endeavour and specially Com. S.K.Sharma and Com. A.K.Kanojia.
With the legal entity having been Conferred, We are responsible to function within the parameters of the constitution and resolve the issues through interaction with the Govt. We shall be meeting soon in our NE meeting possibly on a physical platform. The possibility of such a meeting is under discussion with our President Com. Umesh Mehta and shall be soon finalized.
With greetings,
yours fraternally, KKN Kutty, Secretary General.
The National Co-orindation Committee of Pensioners Associations was contacted by the Confederation of Central Government employees and workers and proposed for a joint movement to highlight the denial of DR arrears and certain covid related issues, taken up but not yet resolved. The NCCPA has agreed to their proposal and accordingly we shall jointly organise a dharna programme at all State Capitals along with the working employees . Simultaneously, our members are to individually appeal to the Finance Minister for the release of arrears and settle the covid related demands. We have anneded their circular letter dated 24th August, 2021 which provides the requisite details.
While endorsing the decision, we appeal to our members to take part in the joint programme abiding by the covid protocol and ensuring that their physical presence at any place does not cause harm to them and others. Every member of ITPF must ensure that the e mail communication to the Finance Minister is sent .
With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
KKN Kutty
Secretary General
NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE
OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS..
(Registered undder the T.U. Act.No. RTU01/2021.Dated.7.01.2021
Website: nccpahq.blogspot.in.E mail: nccpahq@gmail.com.
13.c Feroze Shah Road,
New Delhi. 110 001
PRESIDENT: COM.SHIV GOPAL MISHRA.(97176 47594)
Secy. General: COM.K.K.N.KUTTY. (98110 483030)
Dated: 24th August, 2021.
Dear Comrades,
One of the issues that was raised strongly and unanimously by the staff side of the National Council on 26th June, 2021 during the 48th meeting of the council was the delay in issuing orders for the grant of DA/DR which had become due from 1.01.2020. Though no assurance was held out by the official side at the meeting, it appears that the feeling of the employees were taken into consideration and the three instalments of DA/DR were granted and the orders were issued by the end of July, 2021. In April, 2020, in the wake of the covid pandemic and the consequent lock out, the Government had issued orders for freezing the payment of DA/DR which would be due from 1.1.2020, 1.7.2020 and 1.1.2021. The Government’s decision to impound the arrears for 18 months had in fact been conveyed in April, 2021 itself.
Prior to the issuance of the above orders the Government had made an appeal for contribution to the Prime Minister’s relief fund to combat the situation emerging from the pandemic. The people, especially the poor segment of the society had suffered immensely during the covid period due to the loss of job caused by the lock down and the extra burden of expenditure due to the spread of the disease. Quite a number of people had died due to the virus. The employees and the pensioners responded to the appeal and almost everybody contributed a day’s income to the relief fund. The decision to unilaterally withhold the payment of DA and DR was a jolt and there had been no consultation either formally or informally with the employees’ representatives. The resentment was more about the decision to deny the DA/DR for 18 months in the name of financial stringency. The 20 Trillion financial package, the Government announced thereafter benefitted mostly the corporate houses and other business enterprises . Nothing much was done by the Government to increase the purchasing power of the people which would have benefitted the economy as a whole. Though the freezing payment of DA/DR had no prior consultation, still the employees and pensioners did not raise their objection as they felt that their sacrifice would benefit the poor people The denial of payment of the arrears from 1.12020 to 1.7.2021 for eighteen month, however was different as it was was bereft of any legal or moral basis and the employees and pensioners apprehended that it would create an undesirable precedent. No such arbitrary steps had been taken in the past even against much greater financial crisis. The demand to pay back the withheld amount was, therefore made at the meeting on 26th, but elicited no response from the official side.
The demand for the payment of arrears gathered momentum especially after the 20 trillion package announcement, as the employees and pensioners began to doubt the Government’s stand on financial strength of its coffers. They felt that their hard earned income has been donated to the business enterprises. The similar action of the A.P. Government was questioned at the High Court, which led to it being set aside. The decision of the High Court unequivocally established that the action of the Government to deny DA which is part of the salary is void and untenable The Hgh Court’s decision portends the need for the reversal of the decision of the Government of India denying DA/DR arrears of 18 months.
This and many other issues, especially the covid related problems and the sufferings of the employees and pensioners were figured in the discussions at the recently concluded National Executive Committee meeting of the Confederation of CGE & Workers. The National Executive has come to the conclusion that collective action is needed to highlight the issues and decided to hold discussion with NCCPA for a joint action in the matter. It has now been mutually agreed to hold a physical dharna programme in all State Capitals on 7th September, 2021, the timings and duration can be decided by the local units of both Confederation and NCCPA. The Dharna participants will meet and pass a resolution to be submitted to the Finance Minister with copy to the Secretary, Department of Personnel. All Individual members will send a letter to the Finance Minister, the format of which will be sent later. The programme of action and the charter of demands on which the programme would be mounted is appended hereunder.
As per the discussion we had in our last NE meeting, we had submitted agenda items with brief notes for discussion at the National Council. However, those issues could not be figured in the agenda for want of time. Our President, Com. Shiv Gopal Misra who is also the staff side Secretary has taken up the matter with the Secretary, Pension and Secretary Health. A meeting has been promised to take place by the end of September, 2021.
The undersigned was at Delhi for a few days from 11.8.2021 to 20.8.2021. We had earlier decided to transfer the money in the joint account of the Secretary General and Treasure to a newly created bank account of NCCPA. However, this could not be accomplished as our Treasurer, Com.H.L. Sidhu had a cardiac problem and had been admitted to the hospital. He has been advised rest for atleast three months and is presently convalescing at his home. Further steps in this direction would be taken after he recovers from his illness. In the meantime, all affiliates are requested to clear their dues for the year 2019-20 and 2020-21by remitting the money to the present joint account, whose details are available on our website. Since NCCPA is now registered under the T.U. Act, we are to submit our accounts duly signed for the two calendar years 2020 and 2021 audited by a chartered Accountant.
PROGRAMME OF ACTION:
Andcharter of demands.
it has been decided to organise a dharna programme on 7th September, 2021 at a Central Place in all State Capitals. This will be followed by an e mail campaign, the format of which will be sent in due course. The demands that will be highlighted through this programme are as under:-
Grant the arrears of DA/DR for the period between 1.1.2020 to 1.07.2021. held back by the Government to the employees and pensioners immediately.
Take immediate decision on the following covid related issues;
Grant compensation of not less than Rs. 15 lakhs in case of all covid affected deaths;
Reimburse the hospitalisation bills for all covid patients irrespective of the fact whether the hospital is recognised or not.
Ensure that all employees are provided with the vaccination facility preferably in the CGHS dispensaries.
Provide compassionate appointments in all death cases irrespective of the 5% ceiling.
Ensure that the pensioners who do not have any health care facility especially for in-patient treatment are provided with insurance coverage at the cost of the Government.
8, Revise the Pension of:
(a)BSNL and department of Telecome pensioners with effect from 1.1.2017
(b)Punjab National Bank Pensioners..
9. Grant the medical benefits to the BSNL pensioners.
The resolution to be adopted at the meeting (dharna programme) on 7th September, 2021 will be sent shortly. The format of e mail to be sent to the Honourable Finance Minister by each individual employee/pensioner will also be sent along with the resolution .
The affiliates and State COCs are requested to kindly make the programme a grand success by enlisting the participation of all employees and pensioners.
With greetings,
Yours fraternally,
K.K.N Kutty
Secretary General
