In Part I of his write up, Shri V.S. Prakasarao asked why Shri GN Sridharan seeks
transfer of Writ Petitions to SC. "Will he contest the SLP of LIC and support the
pleadings of Shri Asthana?" - Briefly discussing SBI staff agitation, he said, "strike yielded
good results to SBI pensioners. In LIC "it fell on the lot of Shri Asthana" to
initiate legal battle and Shri Prakasarao goes on to raise doubts
about conflicting styles of behaviour of LIC
management in different matters.
Now read: PART II
IMPLIED APPROVAL - The LIC found deficiencies, discrepancies, hardships in the implementation of the Pension Rules. So much so they intended to rectify the matters and sought formal approval of the GOI as per Rule 55A (Power to relax) the G.O.I. should have given the approval. This is a positive rule and should not be used to perpetuate the hardships and deprive the pensioners the benefit to them. Any delay in this regard shall mean implied approval. Or it amounts to abdication of its authority. Thus the long silence by G.O.I. should be taken as approval. The Rajasthan H.C. opined accordingly.
What for the Rule 56
was framed. Who has to implement it and
when. It is the responsibility of the
Chairman as per Rule 55. Further the G.O.I. by Notification dated 20-6-2000 empowered the
Corporation to amend the relevant
provisions to determine the amount of minimum pension, Dearness Relief and
Family Pension. So the power to amend
was delegated to the Corporation again. The last sentence of the Explanatory
Memorandum to the Pension Rules states “it is certified that no employee of the
Corporation is likely to be affected by the introduction of the Pension Scheme
with retrospective effect.” As such the LIC pensioners has valid ground to
get the benefits in terms of the Board’s Resolution dated 24-11-2000.
Rule 5 of the Pension
Rule says that it is the responsibility of the Management to provide sufficient
funds to enable the trustees to disburse pension. G.O.I. has no financial burden in the pension
scheme. The G.O.I. very recently issued
Notification u/s. 48(g) whereby the Corporation can now purchase shares of a
company up to 30% of the total number.
Hitherto it was only 10%. So the
G.O.I. is helping business people. How about the poor pensioners who created the
wealth for the LIC and the U.O.I. (Union of India).
CAN THE UNIONS
REMAIN MUTE SPECTATORS
TO THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS.
SUCH UNIONS ARE
DOING GREAT DISSERVICE TO THE
PENSIONERS.