Petrol and Diesel prices are increased almost daily and the same has reached to more than Rs. 100. BJP has assured that if it comes to power, petrol prices will be reduced to Rs. 40/.. But during the last 5-6 years the BJP government has increased it up to more than Rs. 100. This is being done, while the price of the world crude oil has not been increased. Shame Modi government.

The three programmes, including the CGM Office March on 22nd October called for by the co-ordination committee of BSNLEU-AIBDPA-BSNLCCWF have been organised with massive participation keeping the Covid protocol. The issues raised are very important ones, including the revival of BSNL.

Committee will meet on 26th October 2021, since no issue is settled by the BSNL Management and the government.

DA for Central govt employees increased from the present 28% to 31% wef July 2021.What about the Dearness Relief to Pensioners wef July 2021?Also what about the DA due to BSNL employees and Dearness Relief to BSNL retirees from July and October 2021?During Covid period employees and pensioners were denied their DA and DR increases for long 18 months. Sustained struggle is the only way against this injustice.

The March to CGM Offices organised as per the call of the Co-Ordination Committee of BSNLEU-AIBDPA-BSNLCCWF organised on 22nd October 2021 on the major demands of the workers, pensioners and casual-contract workers have been a big success as per the reports from the various circles. The workers are very unhappy and restive that the government and BSNL management are not responsive to their reasonable demands including on revival of BSNL.

Co-Ordination Committee will have to meet and take suitable decisions for further programmes.

Workers in PSUs, including BSNL are eligible for increase of 3.3% increase in IDA from July and 5.5% from October 2021. But the government has not issued the orders so far. Usually it is issued by the first of July and October, but this time it is being delayed causing much hardship and anxiety to the workers. Already the workers have lost the arrears of DA for 18 months from January 2020 to  June 2021.  The negative attitude of the government is unpardonable. 

It is demanded that the orders for increased IDA are issued without further delay.

21st October 2021 is the 13th Foundation Day of AIBDPA, the militant organisation of the BSNL-DOT Pensioners. Formed on 21st October 2009, in an All India convention at New Delhi, it has completed 12 fruitful years in the service of the pensioners.

The day was observed all over India, by hoisting the Association Flag, holding meetings/ webinars, honouring senior comrades etc. A largely attended webinar was organised by the CHQ AIBDPA, which was inaugurated by Com. A.K.Padmanabhan, Vice-President, CITU and addressed by many leades of the Pensioners organisations.

All India BSNL-DOT Pensioners Associations (AIBDPA), the biggest and militant Pensioners Association in BSNL, is completing 12 years of its fruitful existence on 21st October 2021.

It was formed on 21st October 2009 in a largely attended National Convention of BSNL-DOT Pensioners held at Garhwal Bhawan, New Delhi, which was inaugurated by Com.M.K.Pandhe, veteran trade union leader and then President of CITU. Com.S.K.Vyas, the legendary leader of the central government employees and Secretary General of both Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers as also that of National Co-Ordination Committee of Pensioners Associations (NCCPA), guided and gave valuable suggestions. After hearing all the opinions and suggestions of leaders and delegates, the new Pensioners Association, AIBDPA, was formed with Coms. V.A.N.Namboodiri (Advisor), P.V.Chandrasekharan (Patron), A.K.Bhattacharjee (President) and K.G.Jayaraj (General Secretary) and other office-bearers from various circles. BSNLEU, the sole recognised and militant union in BSNL, took all initiative in forming the union as per its decision in its Central Working Committee.

Since its inception, AIBDPA has been taking up the issues of the pensioners in right earnest. There were large number of problems connected with Pension Revision from 2007, grant of 78.@% IDA, payment of 100% pension by Government and other issues. Many agitational programmes were organised including Parliament March and several dharnas etc. Within no time the Association was supported by large number of pensioners and its units were formed all over India in all circles and divisions. V.A.N.Namboodiri was in the delegation along with S.K.Vyas and other leaders which discussed the issues of the Pensioners with the VII Central Pay Commission.

AIBDPA is not working in isolation. It is affiliated to NCCPA, the biggest co-ordination committee of the pensioners. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor, AIBDPA is the Patron and K.G.Jayaraj General Secretary AIBDPA is the Asst. Secretary General of NCCPA. All programmes called for by NCCPA are effectively organised by AIBDPA.

AIBDPA is affiliated with Trade Union International (Pensioners and Retirees), which is the forum for the world pensioners and retirees and is affiliated to World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). We are proud to mention that K.G.Jayaraj is an Executive Committee Member of TUI(P and R). AIBDPA fully participates and organises the agitational programmes called by the world organisation.

AIBDPA never has forgotten its connection with the workers’ unions/associations of BSNL. It has extended support and solidarity to all the programmes being organised by BSNLEU and All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB). Recently a Co-ordination Committee is formed by BSNLEU-AIBDPA- BSNLCCWF with K.G.Jayaraj, GS AIBDPA as Chairman, P.Abhimanyu, GS BSNLEU as Convener and Animesh Mitra, GS, BSNLCCWF as Joint Convener, which has already organised many agitational rogrammes for the revival of BSNL and on demands of workers and pensioners. Its units are formed in circles and SSAs.

AIBDPA has progressive outlook and is part and parcel of the trade union movement. It functions democratically and takes up issues of the pensioners effectively. It always remembers the glorious past of the P and T Trade Union movement built up by legendary leaders like Babu Tarapada, Henry Barton, Dada Ghosh, K.G.Bose, N.J.Iyer, K.Adinarayana, Moni Bose and others.

The BSNL-DOT Pensioners are facing many problems which have got to be settled including Pension Revision w.e.f. 01-01-2007, reimbursement of medical bills, medical allowance, problems of the VRS pensioners and so on. AIBDPA will continue to fight for settlement of these and other demands.

The National monetisation Pipeline (NMP) declared by the government is nothing short of a method to disinvest and privatise important PSUs in the name of mope up of finance for the government. These PSUS are built up as the basis for building up a viable growth of the infrastructure of the country, development in various areas and services. The glorious contribution of these PSUs for the development of the country is well known and documented.

Modi Government as part of its anti-people, anti-worker policy wants to destroy all these PSUs or hand over the to the corporates as gifts. Air India which has got assets of lakhs of crores of rupees, including the land, planes and what not is being handed over to Tatas for a mere Rs.18,000 crores. BSNL towers and Optical fibres, which are the strength of the company are being proposed to be handed over.

The Central trade unions and federations of various unions in government, PSUs etc are on the struggle path against these anti-people policies. The struggle needs to be strengthened and the govt’s anti-people policy defeated.

WE SYMPATHISE –

The contents of the circular issued in connection with the 13 th Foundation Day of AIBDPA seems to have irked certain leaders of one of the Pensioners Organisations.These people in the name of putting the records straight is trying to create confusion and misunderstanding about the anomaly among the Pensioners.

We are reproducing the DoT order/letter of 2011. The first para of the order says that the proposal to settle the issue of anomaly was examined in consultation with the DoP&PW and Department of Expenditure and not agreed to. The proposal for rectification of anomaly put forward by BSNLEU, after a series of discussions including in JCM National Council and struggles conducted had to be accepted by the BSNL management. That is how the proposal to grant IDA pay notionally for the months in which CDA pay was drawn was sent to DoT for approval by BSNL.

The first para of this order itself is the answer for the question what BSNLEU has done

. It is specifically mentioned in the order that it is based on the clarification issued by DOP&PW and implemented with effect from 01-01-1996 to extend full minimum pension to all retirees irrespective of their date of retirement 50% of minimum of the revised corresponding revised pay scale. The same formula is directed to be extended to the absorbed BSNL retirees retired within ten months of formation of BSNL,having combined service and covered under Rule 37A of CCS(Pension) Rules,1972.

So it is nothing new that this benefit was available with effect from 1996 for the central government retirees.But the astonishing fact is that these people has nothing against the government for rejecting the proposal beneficial to the affected pensioners. Instead, baseless allegations are made against BSNLEU and AIBDPA. They also conveniently forget the fact that they were also part of BSNLEU, occupying the posts of Deputy General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary.

They are advocating a new perspective that only a good calculator and a brilliant advocate are enough to settle the issues of pensioners.

Actually, they are deeply frustrated due to the isolation from Pensioners movement, nationally and globally. They claim free from affiliation to any apex organisations and completely independent as their best qualification. Of course, they have every right for it.

The continuous struggles of AIBDPA on important issues and it’s close association with the serving unions and national and international pensioners organisations and the united struggles have naturally embarrassed them.

They have also the record of failed attempts to appease certain ministers and get the demand conceded by giving huge amount collected, rather exploited from poor pensioners. And they never hesitate to utilise every opportunity for such collection of huge funds. Of late, even before the order of settlement of anomaly was issued, the unending hunger for money is evident from their call for another collection. This time fortunately, collection on the basis of per cent of benefit is not mentioned.

When pension revision of pre 2007 retirees was settled after much discussion and agitation by BSNLEU, United Forum & AIBDPA, they claimed that it was made possible due to the aqaintance of their Deputy General Secretary’s relative had with one of the personal staff of the then Minister of Communications, Shri. Kapil Sibal.

When orders extending the benefit of 78.2% IDA fixation and Annulment of 60:40 condition were issued after sustained struggles, full credit was given to the then Minister of Fertilizers & Chemicals, late Shri. Ananta Kumar. He was given a reception and lot of presentations in a specially arranged convention.

In the case of pension revision from 2017, they collected Rs 1cr + from the Pensioners giving the illusion of easy settlement and gave to Shri. Prahlad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. The Minister reciprocated by arranging a meeting with Shri.Ravi Shankar Prasad, then Minister of Communications. However, Shri.Ravi Shankar Prasad shut the door at their face. This was the provocation for these people to approach the PCAT, New Delhi for pension revision.

All these show their lack of faith in organisation and the struggles by workers and pensioners.We have only sympathy for them. (Courtesy: AIBDPA Website)