The bench told the petitioner lawyer to go to the Bar Council of India, State Bar
Council, High Courts Bar Associations and District Court Associations. “We don’t
want to take enmity with the lawyers. We are friends with the lawyers,” the bench
said in a lighter vein. May be the Hon. Judges would like to ensure fellow lawyers
earn bread (more), butter (extra spread) and Jam (extra).
Don’t know what was stated by the Judges in a lighter vein amounts to both tacit and
explicit approval for un-restricted number of adjournments and no end in sight delays
for years/decades. Don’t also know if the petitioner has taken his pleas to Bar Councils
or not.
A good development in case of late M.C. Singla/Bank Pensioners. Hearings from both
sides reportedly concluded on 15th October. 2026. Hopefully, a favourable judgement
to about 7.5 lakhs Banks pensioners and family pensioners in the coming two to four/
six weeks.
Bank pensioners may get pension revision retrospectively based on stage to stage
fixation of pay scales from November, 1997 to November, 2022 pay scales or based
on10% notional increase..based on Multiplication factors as had been granted to RBI
pensioners from 01-03-2019 (prospectively without arrears), 01-06-2023
(Prospectively without arrears) and from 01-02-2026 (with arrears retrospectively from
01-011-2022).
In 2019, RBI pensioners had got updation of pension on notionallly computed
multiplication factors ( MFs) Basic pay and basic pension of pensioners retired from
01-01-1986 to 31-10-1997 was longback updated on stage to stage basis. Hence,
the pension of the pensioners retired from 01-01-1986 to 31-10-2002 were revised by
MF : 3.63 ;those retired from 01-11-2002 to 31-10-2007 by MF : 2.44 and those retired
from 01-11-2007 to 31-10-2012 by MF: 1.76. Next two revisions by MF : 1.63 and MF :
1.43.
Nabard pensioners also got pension updation based on MFs.
This year, SIDBI pensioners got pension updation based on MFs from February, 2026
and without arrears. Pre 01-11-2002 retirees : Revised by MF : 5.92; Retirees from
01-11-2002 to 31-10-2007 by MF : 3.98; Retirees from 01-11-2007 to 31-10-2012 by
MF : 2.87 and Retirees from 01-11-2012 to 31-10-2017 by MF : 1.63.
PROSPECTS of bank pensioners getting updation of pension is either way BRIGHT.
Hope to see the judgement in five to six weeks.
************************
5th CPC Report is a Magnum Opus, a Masterpiece Book, a Mahagranth for Central
Government employees and pensioners for several reasons. It added a whopping
40% fitment/ weightage to the pre-revised basic pay and basic pension, it laid down
the golden principle that consolidated pension shall not be less than 50% of the
minimum revised pay of the post held by the pensioner at the time of retirement,
granted 100% neutralisation in Dearness Allowance/ Dearness Relief and Family
Pension at uniform rate of 30% of last pay drawn without ceiling, all resulting in
sweeping jump in take-home salaries and retirement benefits. It recommended that
DA may be converted into Dearness Pay when the CPI crosses 50%. It was based
on a good reasoning that the employees of public sector banking and insurance
employees get their wages, pay scales etc. revised every five years, the wage revision
of Central Government employees is every ten years. The 6th CPC recommendations
fine tuned the pay scales of working employees and granted grade pay as well as
additional pension to very senior pensioners aged 80 and above to meet their
medical etc. expenses of old age and the 7th CPC recommendations brought a kind
OROP, Pension Parity to all pre 1st January, 2016 pensioners and family pensioners.
What 5th CPC Report says on Pension matters /on the Goals of Pension Schemes.
In Brief:
Pension is an area where clarity of vision is often obscured by ill- considered notions.
S.C. judgement on D.S. Nakara &Ors v/s UOI clarified. “ A pension scheme consistent
with available resources must provide that the pensioner would be able to live : (i) free
from want, with decency, independent and self-respect and (ii) at a standard equivalent
at the pre retirement level. Pension is not a bounty ....The senior citizens need to be
treated with dignity and courtesy befitting their age. Pension is their statutory, inalienable,
legally enforceable right.... It should be fixed. revised, modified and changed in ways not
entirely dissimilar to the salaries granted to serving employees. ..The most controversial
subject in the field of pension has been the glaring disparity between persons of
equivalent rank and status drawing vastly unequal pensions if they retired in different
points of time.... The inequality among the civilian pensioners has continued over the
decades with scant relief to the older of the senior citizens... The Commission has tried,
within the constraints of resources, to rationalize the various retirement benefits... Much
more could possibly have been attempted, but we have proceeded slowly and steadily
in a particular direction with the hope that further improvements would be brought by
future pay commissions. And, the benefits granted by the Central Government based
on the recommendations of 6th and 7th CPC are covered briefly in some of the forgoing
paragraphs.
The Central Government employees pay scales are revised every ten years and their DA
revised every six months based on twelve months average of AI CPI-IW. There is a
genuine demand (not a grudge) that their Pay scales be revised every five years and
the Dearness Allowance given based on the quarterly average of AICPI-IW as is the
position obtaining in case of bank and insurance employees. Their previous wage revision
took place from 01-01-2016 and now, 8th CPC to recommend revision of pay scales etc.
with effect from 01-01-2026. During this period RBI and Banks employees got pay revision
twice, from November, 2017 and 2022 and LIC employees from August, 2017 and 2022.
Next wage revisions for public sector insurance and banks is due in August and November,
2027 and 2032 respectively. Government employees are eagerly awaiting 8th CPC
recommendations and for them, 9th CPC, as per present norm, is far far away, due in
January, 2036. Wishing well the Leaders of Joint Consultative Machinery, Retired Employees Welfare Association etc. for accomplishment of their genuine demands.
LIC pensioners may pray and hope for the best that their CAs will also be heard
conclusively/ finally in next two to six weeks. God bless.
SN