“Senior
Citizens are a treasure to our society. They have worked hard all these
years for the development of the nation as well as the community. They
possess a vast experience in different walks of life. The youth of today
can gain from the experience of the senior citizens in taking the
nation to greater heights. At this age of their life, they need to be
taken care of and made to feel special. Indian Government provides
several benefits through its schemes in various sectors of development.(
Pensioners Portal, Govt. of India)”.
At page No.223 of the VI Pay Commission Report, it is reported as follows:
“The
Government merged 50% of the DA with basic pay w.e.f. 1.4.04 and the
dearness allowance continued to be calculated with reference to the
AICPI (IW) average as on 1st January 1996 of 306.33 without changing the
base consequent to the merger. Accordingly, DA at following rates was
sanctioned by the Government from 1.7.04 till 1.7.07:-
As
on Rates of DA (%) As on Rates of DA(%) As on Rates of DA(%) 1.7.04
14 1.1.06 24 1.7.07 41. 1.05 17 1.7.06 29
1.7.05 21 1.1.07 35
As a consequence, salaries of Government employees are being neutralized more than hundred per cent“.
On page 330 CPC records:
“ From
1/1/1996, full neutralization of dearness relief has been allowed to
all pensioners. This was in conformity with the recommendations made by
the Fifth CPC extending 100% neutralization of the increase in the price
index to all the serving Central Government employees”.
On page 332 & 333, it recommends:
“The
Commission, however, is of the view that older pensioners require a
better deal because their needs, especially those relating to health,
increase with age. Accordingly, the Commission recommends that quantum
of pension available to the old pensioners should be increased as
follows:-
On attaining age of Additional quantum of pension
80 years - 20% of basic pension
85 years - 30% of basic pension
90 years - 40% of basic pension
95 years - 50% of basic pension
100 years - 100% of basic pension
On page 338 it recommends:
“Commission,
accordingly, recommends that all past pensioners should be allowed
fitment benefit equal to 40% of the pension excluding the effect of
merger of 50% dearness allowance/ 339 dearness relief as pension (in
respect of pensioners retiring on or after 1/4/2004) and dearness
pension (for other pensioners) respectively. The increase will be
allowed by subsuming the effect of conversion of 50% of dearness relief/
dearness allowance as dearness pension/dearness pay. Consequently,
dearness relief at the rate of 74% on pension (excluding the effect of
merger) has been taken for the purposes of computing revised pension as
on 1/1/2006. This is consistent with the fitment benefit being allowed
in case of the existing employees. A table (Annex 5.1.1) showing
fixation of the pension of the existing pensioners in the revised
dispensation consequent to implementation of the recommendations of this
Commission has been prepared and should be used for fixing the revised
pension of the existing pensioners. The fixation as per this table will
be subject to the provision that the revised pension, in no case, shall
be lower than fifty percent of the sum of the minimum of the pay in the
pay band and the grade pay thereon corresponding to the prerevised pay
scale from which the pensioner had retired. To this extent, a change
would need to be allowed from the fitment shown in the fitment table”.
Would
the presentation of the arguments for the purpose of para 3A as per the
CPC would help in explaining the need for revision of pension without
which the anomaly cannot be avoided and will continue to be litigious,
inasmuch as the Govt. themselves have accepted the recommendations. I
again repeat we have a very strong case to win.
A.S. RAMANATHAN.