Now that it is clear that
in respect of the Delhi petitioners LIC is going to implement the Supreme Court
Order dated 7/5/2015 only for 1266 retired Class I Officers listed by the
Federation when the Delhi High Court had in fact ordered the benefits payable
in rem, will the Class I Federation counsel accept on 23rd September that LIC has complied with
the Apex Court order?
Even if they do not say so expressly, if they do not take
the position that LIC has paid an inadequate amount (even ignoring upgradation
of pension), it will be deemed to have acquiesced in the deliberate lack of compliance
by LIC. If that happens, can the Federation claim to have
safeguarded the interests of its pre-August 1997 retiree- members?
Already the post-July
1997 retiree members have been sufficiently marginalized in the process on
account of denial of any relief. (But I am sure that these members won’t grudge
pre-August 1997 retirees getting at least a part of their due benefits.)
Lastly what happens
to the family pensioners who are the spouses of the deceased members? Have any
details of such family pensioners been given to LIC? If that has not been done, they
would have been orphaned and it would be an injustice to the deceased members and the surviving family pensioners.
Finally if the amount being doled out by LIC
being virtually far short of the entitled amount is accepted without any protest,
how is the Federation going to successfully plead for justice in the Civil Appeal
hearing on 23rd inst and thereafter?
With greetings,
C H Mahadevan