Though AIBDPA was compelled to defer the March to Parliament on 12th March due to the tense situation in Delhi due to Corona virus, it has decided to organise massive demonstration on the same day in all SSAs with massive participation of workers. Instead of a few thousand pensioners marching in Delhi, it will be tens of thousands of pensioners participating in the demonstrations.
It was not easy to defer a programme like Parliament March, when everything have been arranged in Delhi, including for accommodation and thousands have booked their tickets to Delhi and return for participating in the programme. There was no other way since many of the circles also requested for deferment. There will be huge loss of money for cancellation of tickets, cancellation of booking of accommodation etc. but it can not be avoided.
The March to Parliament has not been cancelled, but only deferred. The programme will be organised, once the normalcy is restored.

NO CHANGE IN PARLIAMENT MARCH ON 12-03-2020.
CHQ is getting calls from many comrades ,asking whether the Parliament March will be postponed in the wake of riotous situation prevailed in certain parts of Delhi State. Now the situation has almost returned to normalcy . So we will go ahead with our decision for the Parliament March on 12-03-2020. In this connection CHQ calls upon the Circle and District Secretaries to mobilize maximum comrades for the Parliament March to make it a historic success.

Kindly bring the banners of the respective Circle and District Branches and maximum number of flags to make the Parliament March impressive and colourful.

Special care should be taken that all the participants reach Eastern Court by 0930 AM on 12-03-2020 as the Parliament March will start at 10 AM. Those want to come in metro may get down at Janpath Station and get out through gate No.4.

Comrades, CHQ is happy to have very encouraging and enthusiastic response to the 4 phased agitational programme and no doubt it will boost our morale and confidence to serve the pensioners more vigourously.

CHQ is getting calls from many comrades ,asking whether the Parliament March will be postponed in the wake of riotous situation prevailed in certain parts of Delhi State. Now the situation has almost returned to normalcy . So we will go ahead with our decision for the Parliament March on 12-03-2020. In this connection CHQ calls upon the Circle and District Secretaries to mobilize maximum comrades for the Parliament March to make it a historic success.

Kindly bring the banners of the respective Circle and District Branches and maximum number of flags to make the Parliament March impressive and colourful.

Special care should be taken that all the participants reach Eastern Court by 0930 AM on 12-03-2020 as the Parliament March will start at 10 AM. Those want to come in metro may get down at Janpath Station and get out through gate No.4.

Comrades, CHQ is happy to have very encouraging and enthusiastic response to the 4 phased agitational programme and no doubt it will boost our morale and confidence to serve the pensioners more vigourously. ( AIBDPA Website)

DOT ISSUES ORDER ON PROVISIONAL PENSION TO VRS RETIREES AS DEMANDED BY AIBDPA.

SENSING THE HUGE DELAY IN PROCESSING THE PENSION CASES OF 78,569 VRS RETIREES , AIBDPA TOOK UP THE ISSUE WELL IN ADVANCE WITH DOT. COMS.V A N NAMBOODIRI, ADVISOR AND K G JAYARAJ, GENERAL SECRETARY HAD MET SHRI.P K SINHA, MEMBER (FINANCE) AND DDG(ACCOUNTS) ON 16-12-2019 .THEY CONVINCED THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTY TO DRAW PENSION TO ALL THE VRS RETIREES AND DEMANDED PROVISIONAL PENSION. A DETAILED LETTER WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THIS EFFECT. BOTH OF THEM HAD RESPONDED VERY POSITIVELY AND HAD ASSURED NECESSARRY ACTION ON THE MATTER. TODAY ORDER HAS BEEN ISSUED TO PAY PROVISIONAL PENSION @ 50% OF LAST PAY + IDA. WE EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE MEMBER(FINANCE) AND DDG(ACCOUNTS) FOR CONCEDING THE GENUINE DEMAND. THIS WILL GIVE GREAT RELIEF TO THE VRS RETIREES WHO ARE YET TO GET TWO MONTHS SALARY OF DECEMBER,2019 AND JANUARY,2020 AND WERE COMPELLED TO RETIRE EMPTY HANDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL VRS RETIREES.

.ORDER ON PROVISIONAL PENSION.

AIBDPA DEMANDS TIMELY DISBURSEMENT OF PENSION TO THE VRS RETIREES.
Coms.V A N Namboodiri, Advisor and K G Jayaraj, General Secretary met Shri P K Sinha, Member (Finance) and Shri.Amitab Sinha, DDG (Accounts), Department of Telecommunications on 16th December,2019 and had a detailed discussion on processing of pension papers and timely disbursement of pension to all the VRS retirees, numbering 78,569. The delegation pointed out that our CCA offices are not equipped with the infrastructure and staff to deal with such a huge workload which unusual and unprecedented . We are aware that some of the CCAs are utilizing the services of a few retired officials as consultants. However the facts remains that determining the pension in each case requires scrutiny of relevant records and time consuming. It is absolutely impossible to complete the process within the stipulated time.

Therefore the delegation demanded that Provisional Pension be granted to those VRS retirees whose pension could not be determined at the stipulated time frame. Member (Finance) was very positive in his approach and agreed to consider the proposal favourably. He further stated that verification of service books is the main job in this regard and about 33,000 service books have already been verified in the respective CCAs and only Tamil Nadu and Telangana Circles are lagging behind. A high level committee of officers are constituted at DoT and the progress of work is being monitored regularly. The delegation appreciated the initiative and effective measures being undertaken.

The delegation also asked about the payments of ex-gratia to the VRS retirees and the Member (Finance) was hopeful of disbursement of the the ex-gratia in two installments, first in February and the second in June,2020.

Central Govt has issued orders providing facility of Life Certificates from the doorstep of pensioners. The Press Statement in this connection is given below:

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
30-January-2020

Facility of Life Certificate by banks from the doorstep of the pensioners

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), has taken a landmark step to make life easier for senior citizens to submit their Annual Life Certificate for continued pension. The Department vide its circular no. 12/4/2020-P&PW(C)-6300, dated 17.01.2020 has issued directions to all the Pension Disbursing Banks to send SMSs/Emails to all their pensioners on 24th October, 1st November, 15th November and 25th November every year reminding them to submit their Annual Life Certificates by 30th November.

The Department for stricter monitoring in order to ensure that no pensioners are left out, directed all Pension Disbursing Banks to make an exception list as on 1st December every year of those pensioners who fail to submit their Life Certificate and issue another SMS/Email to them for submitting the Life Certificate. The bank in addition will also ask such pensioners through SMS/Email as to whether they are interested in submission of Life Certificate through a chargeable doorstep service, the charge not exceeding Rs.60/-.

shall now be duty bound to submit a report to DoPPW in the month of January, February & March respectively, indicating the total number of pensioners who have not given their Life Certificate along with a breakup of the Certificates submitted physically and through Digital means.

The above is a landmark step from the side of the Central Government showing due care for pensioners. This step is in addition to the order issued recently dated 18.07.2019 vide which all pensioners age 80 years and above have been given an exclusive window to submit their Life Certificate w.e.f. 1st October every year instead of 1st November every year. RCJ/PK (PIB) 30.01.2020