Tuesday, 21 April 2015

General Provident Fund Interest Rate 8.7% for 2015-16


General Provident Fund Interest Rate  8.7% for 2015-16

Government Decides to Fix Interest Rates at 8.7% for General Provident Fund(GPF) and other Similar Funds Including Special Deposit Scheme, 1975(SDS,1975) for Non-Government Provident, Superannuation and Gratuity Funds for the Financial Year 2015-16

It was decided by the Government to link the interest rates of State PFs (General Provident Fund and other similar funds) including Special Deposit Scheme, 1975 (SDS, 1975) for Non-Government Provident, Superannuation and Gratuity Funds for the FY 2015-16 to Public Provident Fund (PPF) rates. In pursuance of that decision, the Government has decided to fix the rates 8.7% per annum applicable to the following:-

· The General Provident Fund (Central Services).
· The Contributory Provident Fund (India).
· The All India Service Provident Fund.
· The State Railway Provident Fund.
· The General Provident Fund (Defence Services).
· The Indian Ordnance Provident Fund.
· The Indian Ordnance Factories Workmen’s Provident Fund.
· The Indian Naval Dockyard Workmen’s Provident Fund.
· The Defence Services Officers Provident Fund.
· The Armed Forces Personnel Provident Fund.

The rate of interest is applicable to the above funds w.e.f. 1st April, 2015 and until further orders.

Recently, the Government had kept the interest rates for PPF and other Small Savings Schemes intact. However, interest rates for 5 year Senior citizen Saving Scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme have been increased from 9.2 to 9.3% and 9.1 to 9.2% respectively, keeping in view the commitment of the Government towards the welfare of the girl child and the senior citizens.

Source: PIB News

Monday, 20 April 2015

IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) – IESM LETTER TO Sh RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR

IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) – IESM LETTER TO Sh RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR

IESM LETTER TO Sh RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR

DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)

Dear Sh Rajeev Chandrashekhar

You have been leading the fight for Defence Personnel both serving and ex-servicemen (ESM) inside and outside of Parliament and with every Government. ESM have appreciated your gesture of not accepting increased pay and perks of MP since last two years and your resolve that you will not accept the pay raise and perks till Government grants OROP for ex-servicemen.

IESM on behalf of ESM family thanks you for your unstinted support. OROP, one of the crucial demands of ESM, is close to approval. OROP has the approval of two Parliaments, all political parties and has been approved twice in the budget. Yet OROP notification has not been issued since last one year. The reason for this undue delay in issuing the notification is a common knowledge that Bureaucracy is not happy to give OROP to Armed Forces and veterans. The work on draft GL and the tables will start only after the approval of OROP by the Government. Raksha Mantri has extended full support to OROP and is personally monitoring the progress of the file.

This undue delay in issuance of notification is not good for morale of Ex-servicemen. They have started getting doubts on the Government’s resolve to give OROP. Government has missed three deadlines given to veterans for issuance of GL. Parliament session is about to start and Government will get busy in running the session and notification for OROP will get relegated to yet another date. IESM requests you and your friends to raise pertinent questions which will nail the Government to fixed dead line and Government is not permitted to give stereotype reply on OROP. Some of the questions which come to our mind are

Government has been giving stereotype reply since last three Parliament sessions that OROP is under consideration and will be given as and when it is formalized. Please give firm date for issuance of notification. Ambiguity on such an important demand of Armed Forces is having adverse impact on their morale.

As per principle of OROP a senior rank officer/JCO/OR will not be paid pension less than his junior. Will this aspect be the adhered to and OROP notification will include suitable safe guard for this?

Honorable courts have given many decisions in favor of Defence Personnel. Some of them have been complied with and only litigants have been given the benefits of court decision. Will GL include all decisions given by courts in favor of Defence Personnel whether litigants or not. This will ensure equal justice for all affected ESM and will also save Court’s time and Government’s time. It may be noted that non litigants if not included in GL will definitely move the courts and will get decision in their favor from AFT/High court /Supreme Court.

There are only very few Major rank officers who are drawing pension. Most of them are very senior and 75 and above. This group of officers needs sympathetic consideration as they had all put in service of more 20 years. This group needs to be given Lt Col basic pension with Major’s grade pay, since after 2004 officers with 13 years service one eligible for the rank of Lt Col . Most of them are pre – 96 retired. Government had denied giving them Lt Col pension. One Major Thomas pre 96 retiree has won the case and has been awarded Lt Col Pension. Lt Col pension with Major’s grade pay needs to be given to all Majors pre 96 or post 96 retiree. This will again save Government time on litigations by Majors.

Status of National War Memorial. When will the work start on it and when will nation pay homage to fallen soldier at the National Memorial?

Status of Ex-Servicemen Commission. Government to confirm that it will be headed and manned by Ex-servicemen and will have statutory powers to order Government departments for delay in actions.

Sh Rajeev ji, ESM are getting restive because of this undue delay and shifting of goal post on one pretext or other. IESM is worried that some of the local organizations may get disturbed and may deviate from the non-violent path of IESM and may resort to Rasta Roko or Rail Roko agitations. It will not be good for country and ESM. May I therefore request you to kindly meet PM/RM and confirm the latest position and issue a statement to sooth the nerves of the agitated ESM.

I am sure we will see some of the questions being raised in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the suggested lines in the coming session.

I will be grateful to get a reply giving plan of action and your advice for future course of action.

With regards,
Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)
Chairman IESM
Mob: +919312404269, 0124-4110570
Email : satbirsm@gmail.com

Source: www.ex-airman.blogspot.in

OROP Latest News : National Ex-servicemen Coordination committee meets Defense Minister 22.4.2015


OROP Latest News : National Ex-servicemen Coordination committee meets Defense Minister 22.4.2015

Office of the Defense Minister invited National Ex-servicemen Co-ordination committee (NeXCC) for having a meeting with Defense Minister Mr. Manohar Parikkar on 22nd April 2015 at 11:30 Hrs to discuss various points of Ex-Servicemen and also on OROP implementation
NeXCC delegation of 10 members under the leadership of our Chairman Mr. Taneswar Sen, including Vice Chairman Mr. John VS ( Kerala), Secretary General Mr. VN Mishra ( UP), Delhi State general secretary Mr. Vilas rai ( Delhi), Western Zonal Chairman Mr. HR Mattu ( Haryana), Orissa general secretary Mr. GC Senapathi, Thelungana General Secretary Mr. Subba Rao and others.






BSNL Employees’ Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 – Demanding Revival of BSNL

BSNL Employees’ Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 – Demanding Revival of BSNL

FORUM OF BSNL UNIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
D-7, Telegraph Place, Gole Market, New Delhi – 110 001.

Press Release

20th April, 2015

BSNL Employees’ Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015
Demanding Revival of BSNL

As per the call of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations, the BSNL Employees, both executives and nonexecutives numbering around 2.25 lakhs, will resort to Two Days Strike on 21-22 April 2015 demanding immediate action from the Government and BSNL Management for the Revival of BSNL.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited was the No.1 telecom company in India and was having an annual revenue of about Rs.40,000 crore and profit of about Rs 8,000 – 10,000 crore till 2006. The non-implementation of the government assurances on financial viability, continued cancellation of the BSNL tenders of mobile equipment, confiscation of the cash balance of the company by the government on one pretext or other, discriminating BSNL in favour of private companies -all these deliberate decisions have pushed BSNL in to loss for the last five years.

The government has withdrawn from its assurance to pay ADC, refund of licence fee and liberal subsidy from the USO fund, for compensating BSNL for the loss of about Rs.10,000 crore per year for providing services to the villages and rural areas in the country which is as per the universal connectivity policy of the government. The present loss of the company around Rs. 7,000- 8,000 crore per year will be covered and there will be profit for BSNL if these assurances are honoured and implemented.

Immediate purchase of various equipments for providing mobile, broadband etc. services are most important. Sufficient funds are required for the same, which BSNL is not having at present. An amount of Rs. 6,700 crore is due to be paid to BSNL by Government towards the cost of spectrum, which the BSNL has surrendered. An amount of Rs. 1,250 crore, allotted to BSNL in lieu of ADC for providing loss making connections for 2012-13, is still pending payment. The employees are demanding that these two amounts be paid immediately so that BSNL can purchase required equipment.

The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has suggested various proposals for providing better service to the customers on which also no action is taken.

The Forum also demands that BSNL should start 4G services without any delay. It also has demanded that it should be made mandatory for the Central/State Governments and PSUs to take BSNL service as was done in the case of Air India.

The strike Demands submitted by the Forum are mainly intended to improve the services and to better the financial viability of the company. However, neither the Secretary, Department of Telecom nor the Communications Minister have so far called the Unions/associations for any discussion or settlement of the issues. The entire responsibility for the strike and its adverse affect on the services and difficulties to the public lies upon the Government and the Management.

The Two Days Strike on 21-22 April will start from the mid-night of 20-21 April 2015. We solicit the support of all in our effort to improve the BSNL services and revive it.

sd/-
V.A.N.Namboodiri
Convener
Mob: 09868231431

Source: www.bsnleuchq.com

IBA continues – Next meeting on 22.4.2015 – AIBEA Circular


UFBU MEET AND SUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH IBA

Discussed Points: Hospitalisation Scheme, 100% D.A.Neutralisation for retirees, 2% of loading on basic pay and DA and Converting of DA series.

“IBA should give the new pay structure immediately and pay scales so drawn should be discussed within reasonable time”

Circular No.8/VI/2015

April 17, 2015

To:
ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Dear Comrades,

UFBU MEET AND
SUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH IBA,

Preceding the IBA meeting on 16th April, 2015, UFBU met at Maharastra State Bank Employees Federation Office at Fort Mumbai on 15.04.2015 at 18.00 hrs. Our Organisation was represented by Com.Alok.Khare, Vice Chairman, Com.S.S.Shishodia, President besides the undersigned. All the constituents have participated in the meet.

1. The following issues were discussed for taking up the same with IBA.

·   Improvements in the proposed Insurance backed Hospitalisation Scheme.
·   Four issues concerning the Retirees- [a] 100% D.A.Neutralisation for retirees prior  to1.11.2002;    [b].Family Pension; [c]. Updation of Pension; [d]. Coverage of Hospitalisation to Retirees.
·   Constraints in construction of Pay scales with the condition of 2% loading
·   Feasibility of converting the DA series from the base year of 1960 to 2001.


2. The IBA subcommittee on Hospitalisation Scheme was headed by Shri.Arun Tiwari, Chairman Union Bank of India, Shri.Shailesh Verma CGM, SBI, Shri.B.S.Shekhawat, GM (HRD) CBI, Shri.M.V.Tanksale, CEO IBA, Shri K.Unnikrishnan Dy.CEO IBA besides HR officials of IBA. The representatives of all the eleven unions have participated.

3. There was a detailed discussion on the Hospitalisation based on the documents provided by the IBA to all the unions. Our organisation has forwarded the various suggestions on the scheme to IBA, earlier to the commencement of the discussions, The said communication addressed to the IBA is sent herewith. At the end, there are very many loose ends to be knitted to present a comprehensive and an improved beneficial scheme to the Bankmen at large.

4. In the exclusive sub committee meeting of Officers, IBA team was headed by Shri. Ashwini Kumar Chairman Dena Bank, Smt.Indira Padmini, GM, IOB, Shri.B.S.Shekhwat, GM CBI besides the top officials and also of HR team of IBA,

5. The talks continued on issues listed in the Charter of demands of officers. The discussions are progressing but inconclusive. The Officers’ organisations have requested for one more sitting to take forward the discussions preferably next week.

6. We shall keep the units informed about the progress made to convert the MOU into 7th Joint Note.

Yours Comradely,

S.NAGARAJAN
GENERAL SECRETARY.

Source: http://www.aiboa.org/news.html

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