Due respects to the views that the RBI, the Banks and the LIC join hands to file a petition in an appropriate court to obtain justice to their pensioners. The pensioners of these institutions, no doubt, want parity in pension, updating of pension along with the revision of scales of pay of working employees.
Reportedly, there has been a move in the recent past in RBI, to accept the updating of pension once in ten years, commencing from the date of revision of scales of pay of working employees due from 01-11-2012. Hapless pensioners - may be because of advanced age - ( the number of pensioners in age group of seventy plus is more in banks and LIC ) ready to forego the benefits- accruals of 2002 and 2007 pay revisions. They may be right in their understanding, judgement and decision: something is always better than nothing.
The pre 1997 pensioners of RBI have got the stage to stage fitment (akin to OROP) based on the 01-11-1997 pay revision (Please read the write-up " UBFU pact with IBA ..Impact on pension updation for RBI retirees " posted in PC on 01-06-2015. They got the benefit from a subsequent date in 2003 not retrospectively from 01-11-1997.
The pensioners of RBI are getting 100% neutralisation in dearness allowance/relief from Feb. 2005. Their family pensioners do get 30% of the pay of the pensioner or deceased employee from Jan. 2013.
While the pre 01-08-1997 pensioners of LIC are denied 100% neutralisation in DA/DR, the pre 01-11-2002 bank pensioners do not get 100% neutralisation in DA/DR. All they get - DA/DR on reducing percentage basis. The benefit of 100% DA/DR is enjoyed by the bank pensioners who retired on or after 01-11-2002 and from Feb.2005. The family pensioners of the banks and the LIC are not receiving 30% of last pay drawn......they are paid poorly. They are paid paltry sum when compared with the family pensioners of GOI and RBI.
As could be observed from the foregoing, the problems with the pensioners/ family pensioners of the RBI, the Banks and the LIC are quite different, although, the main issue involved is ,"updating of pension", once every five years along with revision of pay revision of in- service employees.
It is better not to venture " all " to unite and fight a legal battle. Their problems and approach to ones own problems too are different. It has not been possible to see a kind of understanding, forget about unity, among the three veterans who are scholarly in their field. All their cases have been tagged because all they pertain to the cause of LIC pensioners, updation plus DA; DA ; all plus interest. Better continue the struggle on the tagged cases at the Supreme Court till the final judgement is pronounced by the Hon. Judges. There shall be no more petitions till the pending cases in the S.C. are finally disposed of. Every new case filed in any court of law entails delay not of few months, but delay of few years.
No need even to file a contempt of court case, if LIC fails to act or acts not to the satisfaction of the petitioners- employees concerned by the due date this month. This is a layman's view: not to add to delay in seeing light of the day : the final deliverance of favourable justice. The petitioners and their counsellors are undoubtedly the best 'judges'/ persons to act as law demands.
As strongly argued by Dr. Ashok Dhamija ( OROP - posted in PC on 31-05-2015 ; the Editor should be complimented for posting such a very relevant and important article). OROP is to be granted, in due course to civilian pensioners too. The OROP to begin with the defence pensioners as already approved by the Central Government. All the courts have held favourable judgement updating of pension etc. to LIC pensioners. Await for few more months to get a final say by the final authority. If, for reason, no decision is coming, it would be in order to go for nationwide agitation- dharana, morchas etc. at all towns and cities .. by the pensioners and family pensioners of all the three institutions. A suitable kind of programme - not inconveniencing the very senior citizens - and excluding pensioners with health problems - could be chalked out by the retirees associations.
The pension is the best or say, one of the best social security measures because of its unique features. such as, updation of basic pension, grant of dearness relief as buffer against price rise, family pension etc. The new pension schemes of GOI etc. are not bad as made out to be. The pay (and perks) of present generation of employees getting substantially better with every pay revision. The defined contributory pension fund going to be very huge after 20/ 35 years by the time the person like Shri P.K. Bhatt retires. It may be ensured by Shri Bhatt and the employees organisations/ unions that the benefits in the eligibility conditions etc. given to the pensioners by the successive CPCs are related to /extended to the new pension schemes.
SN ( a 1992 pensioner )