(Continued from POST 1)
7. Even if outlay did not figure at all in LIC
submissions, such real figures will bring truth about this laudable, stable
solid, solvent institution, a Rock of Gibralter & an undeclared
Navarathna & also more particularly, how demands of pensioners
are so realistic & modest.
a) Surplus 5 % to Govt Rs 830cr,929cr, 1031cr for
2007/08, 2008/09 & 2009/10,Rs1138cr in 2010/11 & Rs1282cr in 2011/12.
b) Taxes paid to Govt stood at Rs3625cr,3973cr &
4425cr for 2009/11,2010/11 & 2011/12
What more testimony is required
c) Surplus last 14 yrs alone, LIC paid to Govt Rs
7,873 cr, a Kamadhenu indeed & all on a mere Rs.5 cr given by Govt on
1/9/1956.
d) 5-Year Plans, People money for People Welfare, tremendous
fillip given by LIC to Nation & citizen’s welfare.
e) LIC an Economic Tajmahal, Assets,
Life Fund, Total Income - all staggering. A staggering Rs15.6 lac crores assets,
Rs13.3 lac crore Life Fund & a whopping Rs 3.3 lac crore Total
Income. LIC Solvency & Solidity is unquestionable.
f) WHAT AN ENTITY, IN FACT ALL CONSTITUENTS OF SUCH EMINENT INSTNS MUST
HAVE ALL BENEFITS, PERKS MUCH MUCH HIGHER FOR THE OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCE.
8. GOVT
REGULAR PENSION IS FAR FAR HIGHER THAN LIC. Many are not aware that
even Govt Family Pension is higher than LIC Regular
pension.
VI Pay Commission also added value
rightly, increased % of pension at ages 80,85,90,95 & 100
years to the tune of 20,30,40,50 &100%,which we don't secure &
that demonstrated empathy towards Elders.
9. A) i) Outlay needed is not even the
tail of the Wage agreement PLLI or the tail of the Meal
Coupon gift on September Anniversary 2010
or a tail of other Allowances other than DA, HRA, CCA again for
all There should not be a miserly, lackadaisical treatment meted out to
diminishing tribe of pensioners ,who brought name, fame & reputation
to the Institution. Board consent was secured last year, tho PLLI norms
were not met & employees got benefit of 4%, even if not qualified. For
3/2013 also, Unions have placed request for general waiver in view of
insurance industry as a whole failed to perform satisfactorily !! Why
not this magnanimity be exhibited towards lesser mortals like pensioners, who
richly deserve more. Similar such outlay can well go to grant pension
upgradation & to augment pensioners welfare.
ii) The number of pensioners stood at 38,200
in 2006-07,38434 in 2007-08 & 43,043 in 2010-11. It is just 1907 pensioners
only per Year added All India, app 238 per Zone.
B) TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES & EMPLOYEES REMUNERATION &
WELFARE EXPENSES.
I extracted from LIC performance as at 31/3/2011 from
website & audited accounts
a) TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES
-- 31/3/2010 : RS12,246CR: RS422CR PENSION PYTS
3.45% only
--31/3/2011 : RS16,980cr: RS497CR PENSION PYTS
2.93% only
b) EMPLOYEES REMUNERATION & WELFARE
EXPENSES:(inclusive of Employees & Pensioners)
31/3/2010 :Rs8053 CR:RS422CR PENSIONPYTS
5.24% only
31/3/2011:Rs12,055cr:497cr
PENSION PYTS 4.12% only
10. Recently,while inaugurating 300 Mini-Offices of
LIC,which was a Budget action plan, FM Sri P. Chidambaram said,’the performance
figures of LIC give an indication why LIC is dear to us.LIC is a jewel
in our crown.& we will continue to nurture LIC.
LIC is not only a market leader, but also a market maker. The 3 letter ‘LIC’
stand as a synonym for insurance, for excellence in strengthening the economic
fibre of this country. I dare to say that no other 3 letters taken
together are more recognised in the length & breadth of India. I am proud
of what LIC has achieved in 57 years, but as long as there are uninsured
people, the task of LIC is not over.’
SHOULD
NOT LIC NOW HONOUR COURT VERDICTS, ONE BY ONE , all of which has come
only in PENSIONERS
FAVOUR?
11. When all promises are kept, when LIC has donned
such a powerful & instrumental role in nation's economy, helped Govt to
stabilise stock markets, lent tremendous assistance by way of Social Security
for Aam Admi, inclusive growth & above all such a sterling contribution to
Govt 5 Yr Plans, Peoples Money for Peoples Welfare, in almost all sectors of
people & society & nation development & when Pensioners for
long yrs 35 & more have done yeoman service & built Foundation,
erected fine Superstructure, ably galvanized with Reorganisation in the 80s , made the
INSTN bear intense COMPETITION WITH CONFIDENCE & COURAGE, such
a Paltry pension, not befitting on the institution for no fault of
pensioners. EVEN with all these facts, figures, reason & logic, public tribute &
standing, unqualified praise from FM & PM, it is disturbing that
Pensioners should be treated so bad, UNWEPT, UNHONOURED & UNSUNG.
12. More than 12 years, money, labour, energy, inconveniences,
delay, adjournments, court rules & procedures, adverse health, sacrifices are
being silently borne by pensioners, activists straining to maximum even in
adversity. We shed tears for those who died in thousands all these years. Family
pensioners have crossed 13,000 out of total 45,000 pensioners app. FP % to
RP-Regular Pensioners has jumped from 17 % to 38 %, sad indeed. Lack of money power, lung power, muscle power,
political power, must be compensated & addressed by only by High Courts
& Supreme Court.
Facts are clear as crystal, reason & logic of demands
are powerful, no one can deny discrimination, decades have rolled by, none to
wipe the tears, demands are modest & legitimate, Court victories are galore
& successive, one after another.
13. a) SJ Hon Justice Bhandari’s judgement dt
12/1/2010 was allowing both the writs 6696/1998 pertaining to
Full DR & 654/2007exclusively on pension upgradation.
It also means that Hon SJ has gone through the
submissions by both Counsels & quoting relevant portions & arguments
came to definite conclusions and issues orders covering both the issues
affecting pensioners. Pension revision with successive wage revisions have been
upheld conspicuously & unambiguously
Jaipur Single judge Hon Bhandari in his order has
observed as follows:
“Learned counsel for petitioners has further submitted
that there exists anomaly even in regard to the revision of the pay scale.
The benefit of revision in the pay scale from time to time was not extended to
the pensioners. In view of aforesaid, even an officer retiring in the higher
pay scale started getting less pension than to the employee retiring
subsequently in lower pay scale. Aforesaid aspect was also considered
along with the first issue, by the Board in its meeting held on 24.11.2001
b) Hon’ble Rajasthan
High Court has held that, on the basis of date of retirement, there cannot be
any discrimination between the Pensioners inter se. All pensioners
are entitled to revision of pensions as and when pay scales are
revised. The decision of the Board taken in its meeting dated
24/11/2001 but not implemented on account of misnomer of approval of the Central Government has been directed to be
implemented with the above modifications.
(To be continued)