Shri N K Vaid from New Delhi had asked for a status report on the developments in the Delhi High Court. He also reminded everybody about the Actual Goals. .I take it as a question coming from nearly fifty thousand LIC Pensioners, posed to all the parties claiming to be fighting for them. While I give my response in the following lines, it will be good if the two Federations also speak up.
The Hyderabad Association is on board, as an independent Petitioner through its WP No 4894 of 2016, vide the designated Bench Order dated 1st June 2016. Mr GN Sridharan’s prediction (and may be his wish) that only a Notice may be ordered (for admission), has been proved wrong. LIC has indeed been put on Notice, for filing its Counter Affidavit on our Petition, within three weeks, in terms of the SC Order dated 31st March. The deadline ends on 21st June. Assuming LIC complies with the Order, we have time to file our Rejoinder by 5th July. And we are going to be ready for arguments on 12th July as stipulated by the HC.
GNS Federation reported that their Amended Petition has been filed on 1st June, obviously in the Registry. Whether it needs to be posted before the Bench for directions to LIC (to file Counter Affidavit) or whether LIC would act on the Amended Petition even before the High Court reopens on 7th July 2016, is to be seen. Its next biggest contribution to the Pensioner community is to ‘caution’ its members to realise that these interventions can disturb the time schedule fixed by the Supreme Court for disposal of the matter by Delhi HC. In particular the Hyderabad action has the potential of landing the pensioners in another phase of ligation perhaps by quite a few years. ‘We are keeping a close track of the matter’.
You keep close track of what Hyderabad is doing and the Pensioners keep track of what you are (not) doing.
The other Federation’s biggest strength is its ‘silence’. Its Lion roared once recently to announce that Hyderabad Association’s Petition will be taken up on 13th July – a day after his own. There was nothing else to say, so he is back in his Cage. A Diary Number in circulation of something filed is good enough for the apex body to step up the countrywide collection drive.
Who is accountable for derailing the time schedule so kindly handed down by the Supreme Court on 31st March and so seriously reiterated by the Delhi HC on 6th May? Hyderabad? Delhi? Or Jaipur?
Dear LIC Pensioners – please go with and support those who are with you. It’s now or never. We have to protect ourselves not only from an insensitive Corporation & a hostile Government, but also from our own failed Leadership.
We need liberal contributions from all stakeholders. Our need is genuine and urgent. It is beyond the capacity of our own members who are small in number. Please participate whole heartedly and tell others to do so.