ALL INDIA INSURANCE PENSIONERS’ ASSOCIATION
National level meeting of State/Regional representatives of GIPA
Bengaluru, February 9 & 10, 2019
RESOLUTION
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This Meeting notes that there has been attempts to dilute the spirit of this verdict, with artificial differentiation between funded and non-funded schemes and also notes that there have been affirmations that the Judgement in D S Nakara case is applicable only to Central Government Employees and Pensioners and not to other sections.
Even though Pension Scheme in the Insurance Sector is patterned as per Central Civil Services Pension Rules, and contains a Residuary Provision on applicability of Central Government Rules, Government and Employers refuse to extend to the Insurance Pensioners the benefits available to Central Government Pensioners.
When Pension Rules were formulated in Insurance Industry in 1995, broad parameters were similar to the Central Government Pension Rules relating to Qualifying service, Average Emoluments, Rates of Family Pension etc.
Both in Insurance Pension Rules and Central Civil Services Pension Rules, Basic Pension remained related to salary levels at the time of retirement and till the year 1998 the status quo continued.
On the basis of Central Pay Commission Recommendations, Basic Pension for Pre-1996 Pensioners got correlated to January 1996 wage structure and till 2016 this practice has been adopted. As such all Central Government Pensioners are drawing same pension irrespective of Date of Retirement.
This meeting notes that this has been done through issuance of GOs accepting the Central Pay Commission Recommendations and without amending Civil Pension Rules and the Government denies this benefit to Insurance Pensioners citing there is no provision in Insurance Pension Rules for updation.
Again, the Central Government has provided for Uniform Rate of Family Pension @ 30% for all, Full Pension for 20 years of service with retrospective effect and reckoning of Basic Pension on the basis of last drawn salary, if favourable.
The amount of Minimum Pension admissible has also been enhanced and all these benefits have been denied to Insurance Pensioners.
This Meeting notes that while the Government ostensibly feels Insurance Pensioners are different from their counterparts in Central Government, it has thrust upon National Pension System [NPS] on Insurance Employees too as done for Central Government Employees.
Insurance Pensioners meeting here, note with satisfaction that struggles against N.P.S. have gained force recently and the Strike called for against the policies of the Government on January 8 and 9, 2019 specifically focused on scrapping of NPS and restoration of Defined Benefit Scheme for all and that is a happy augury.
This Meeting strongly feels that it amounts to denial of justice and against fair play that the repeated representations of AIIPA on these demands are not conceded.
This Meeting observes that AIIPA’s efforts to bring home the merits of the issues represented, the ethical responsibility cast on LIC Management to get its Board Resolution (on DA neutralisation) implemented have not borne fruit.
Insurance Pensioners feel agitated that even on issues not relevant to the legal dispute, Government / Managements decline to consider when AIIPA points out that these have been implemented in Reserve Bank of India.
This Meeting feels that the negative attitude of LIC under the pretext of legal process and that of GIPSA even without the so-called constraints does not speak well of Managerial Qualities of Public Sector Institutions.
Insurance Pensioners in this Assembly, representing the overwhelming voice of the Insurance Pensioners fraternity, feel let down by the Authorities in their quest for justice.
Pensioners of all hues from the Public Sector Insurance Industry demand of the Government, LIC and GIPSA to immediately accept the demands placed by AIIPA and take steps to get Notifications issued in relation to all matters for flow of benefits retrospectively and this Meeting specifically demands of LIC not to continue with its legal pursuit but to take steps in this direction.
This Meeting earnestly hopes that the services rendered by these erstwhile employees will get due recognition and Government / Managements will act swiftly to render justice.
PRESIDENT OF THE MEETING