ON AIRIEF DELEGATION MEET
WITH NEW SECRETARY (FS)
& SAFEGUARDS
Earlier meet with Dr G.S. Sandhu, then Sy FS on 23 Aug 2014 looked
to be somewhat on right & sombre lines though not decisive, he even
spoke to LIC Chairman on phone in AIRIEF Delegates presence &
wanted a report on latest position. Further, the next meeting with Sy
Pensions was more fruitful, we all perceived that Sy Pensions appeared
to entertain empathetic view of the whole situation as Basic pension
remains static ever since inception ie 1/11/1993. He informed he will
present a Note to Sy FS. All such meetings are to enable us to understand
the mind & mood of MOF & also to impress on them the necessity of
pension upgradation to fairly eliminate obnoxious anomalies & mounting
gross difference in pension of same cadre with same length of service,
compounded by 7/8 steps below cadre now get pension higher than
those earlier retirees.
2. The latest meet with the new Sy FS Sri Hansmuk Adhia on 28 Nov,2014, widely circulated by Sri VC Jain, former GS, AIRIEF, looks to be backstabbing pensioners, bringing reasons never aired by any of his predecessors & on the other hand many felt that if SC Bench final judgement is positive & favourable to Pensioners, new Govt, in all probability, will implement, as tens of Petitions & Memorandums with face to face meeting expressing our dire anxiety to resolve & implement Hon Courts verdict of twin benefits have been impressed on Top MPs, MOS, Cabinet Ministers, FM et all.
3. His argument of Ripple effect is very old & now outdated & long before SC, in many judgements, have overthrown that logic. Further Sy FS cannot realise that while CG, SG, Railways get upgraded pension like Lollypop every 10 yrs substantial gains pm, rocklike arrears & even now sure dreaming of 7th Pay Commn likely recommendations & whispering in their wife's ears, even an iota of equity & justice after 12/13 long years of fight & battle in all Courts conferring BOTH benefits, Sy does not want to sense or soothe or assuage the true feelings of insce pensioners who belong to a Unique Financial & Service Instn getting ever so many Awards of Excellence & unalloyed & unadulterated praise from every quarter & Govt too. The Engine of Economic Avatar or Financial Giant with tremendous muscle to aid & finance Govt under any circumstance or distress & quell the rebellious Stock Market, that Engine itself is deprived of LEGITIMATE, MODEST, GENUINE DEMANDS OF PENSIONERS, more so blessed by Hon Judiciary, not one or two or three but from Jaipur HC, to CGH HC to Delhi HC to SC Bench involving 10 Hon Judges in all, whither Independence of Judiciary so loudly & beautifully portrayed & even asserted decisively by immediate earlier Hon CJ, SC Sri R.M. Lodha. He became near & dear to us in our hearts, with his latest historic OROP judgement with a 5-Judge Bench, as a continuum or an extension & update of Nakara judgement, also 5-judge Bench presided by Hon Y.V. Chandrachud, even if some hiccups are being thrashed out, to implement wef 1/1/2006 & not 9.2012 as GG went on insisting & persisting but inviting defeat.
4. We are in such a position & predicament that we too badly need a Damning Govt/LIC judgement indicting them but poignantly questioning Govt on such lackadaisical & dilly dallying adjournments pointed out in our weighty Applications to SC & handing over a bonanza of twin benefits rightly conferred thro verdicts & not a dream without basis or fundamental postulates & massive arguments & data blessed by the historic Umbrella Hon SJ Bhandari judgement, but adding pathos & tragedy of the over 13,000 pensioners who left for heavenly abode.
5. To add fuel to fire, Sy FS has the audacity & meekness to hide a blatant aggression of true facts which the whole world knows, PAY AS U GO -- of Govts is downright DayRobbery of Govt & Citizens, Countrys finances. But this Sy has the temerity to say, whether this or that or any, all moneys whether with LIC. banks , pensioners and govt. employees etc belong to the govt, implying any expense on this account will be expense by the govt. We know not what he says, it is a ridiculous argument, a perverted logic has to be assailed, in fact, LIC never raised the question of outlay except in final SLP/CAs, as it ought to & that is ok. We rebut & copious data inserted & figures in our Rejoinder. As early as 12/4/2002, few months after LIC Board Resolution dt 24/11/2001, in his letter to GIPSA, UnderSy, MOF clearly titled the heading pension upgradation & he added significantly that LIC has the capacity to pay & so wanted GIC reply.
6. It is high time & I appeal & plead with all my sincerity & earnestness at my command, that ALL of us unitedly must ENSURE that, whether this case goes in Guiness Books of World Records or not, we must make the SC & UOI to seriously appreciate, accept & implement, that after Verdict, Appeal, Review, SLP, that too with a deadline fixed, are in litigants favour, nothing more, Final Judgement & Orders be pronounced, as for example now SC is constituting Special Bench for Social Justice covering Women & Children pending & new cases for speedy & expeditious disposal. That & that principled & logical arguments shall convince NAMO Govt to evolve practical Guidelines for quick closures & also in that process fully implement National Litigation Policy in letter & spirit. We shall be failing in our duty if we dont act now to compel the Govt to see reason & agree to this dictum & Posterity shall always remember us with gratitude & goodwill.
7. That alone will be our joint humble followup & Tribute to the noble, genial, amiable persona with strong will, unassailable power of logic & social justice & equality preserved, protected & promoted by the Father of PIL & progenitor of ever so many compelling radical judgements handed over to several brethern, this indubitable Hon V.R.Krishna Iyer, to whose departed soul we pay a solemn tribute & homage.
Greetings,
R.B.KISHORE
VP,AIRIEF