AIBDPA/ CHQ CIRCULAR.4/2022
7th June, 2022.

Dear Comrade,

MAKE THE AGITATIONAL PROGRAMMES STUPENDOUS SUCCESS :-

       The first program of agitations decided for the settlement of the most important five demands, falls on 22nd June, 2022; Demands Day- demonstrations are to be held at all levels.

             The second program of Mass Dharna with maximum placards is to be organised at SSA/ BA levels on 20-07-2022. Let us mobilize maximum pensioners in these agitations and give wide publicity not only among the pensioners but also in the media both print and visual.

           Then the culminating program, March to Sanchar Bhawan is on 24-08-2022 which has to be held impressivily with good participation. CHQ has fixed some quota for each Circle as follows;
Kerala-200,

Tamil Nadu-200,

Chennai Telephones-50,

Karnataka-150,

Andhra Pradesh-150,

Telangana-150,

Madhya Pradesh-100,

Chhattisgarh-25,

Bihar- 50

Odisha-25,

Maharashtra-100,

Gujarat-100,

Rajasthan-100,

Punjab-150,

Jammu& Kashmir-05,

Assam-100,

NE I-10,

NE II-10,

West Bengal-200,

Kolkata Telephones-150,

CORTO-50,

NTR, Delhi-200,

ALTTC, Gaziabad-10,

Uttar Pradesh (East)-150,

Uttar Pradesh ( West)-150.

                The Circle branches may distribute their quota of participation to the district branches according to the potential of each district. Care has to be taken to reserve the tickets for the to and fro journey well in advance. Circle Secretaries may kindly collect the names of the participants from each district with their arrival/ departure details and furnish to CHQ before 15-07-2022. Please take it as a serious task as CHQ has to arrange accommodation for those coming from far off Circles. CHQ will arrange accommodation for one day, those who reach on 23rd can stay the night and vacate on 24th morning and those reach on 24th morning can stay upto 25th morning. Those who need to stay beyond the above , have to make own arrangement.

           The March to Sanchar Bhawan will start at 10AM on 24-08-2022 from NTR, Eastern Court, Near BSNL Corporate Office. The participants should reach Eastern Court in time. The Circles/ Districts may kindly bring their banners and maximum flags.

Coordination Committee Extends Support.

            The meeting of the Coordination Committee of BSNLEU, AIBDPA & BSNL CCWF held on 04-06-2022 has extended full support to the AIBDPA agitational programmes. The meeting also decided to support the agitational programmes called by the BSNL CCWF demanding settlement of important issues of the casual and contract workers.

27-06-2022 Demonstration at GM level.
30-06-2022. Demonstration at CGM level.
AIBDPA units are requested to get in touch with CCWF units and see that it is held successfully.

           The COC meeting also decided to support the AUAB agitational programmes demanding Wage/ Pay revision and other important issues. Dharna will be held at SSA level on 21-06-2022 and March to Sanchar Bhawan for which date will be fixed in due course. AIBDPA has already extended Solidarity and our units are requested to make it a grand success.

Human Chain on 07-07-2022.

          The CoC meeting after reviewing the campaign against privatisation and National Monetisation Pipeline, decided to continue the campaign by holding Humanchain at District level on 07-07-2022. Details are contained in the CoC circular.

75th Independence Day.

Another decision of the CoC meeting is to celebrate the 75th Independence Day highlighting the role of the working class in the Independence movement. Seminars are to be conducted during 11th July to 15th August, 2022.

Dear Comrades, let us take up these important tasks in right earnest.
Victory shall be ours.!

With warm greetings,

K G Jayaraj
General Secretary.

GHS AND BSNL PENSIONERS.

Central Government Health Scheme ( CGHS ) was introduced by the Central Government with an aim to extend quality and hassle free medical facilities to the Central Government Employees and Central Government Pensioners. Unfortunately, based on the health policy being pursued by the Central Government, privatisation of health sector, there has been no significant progress in the functioning of CGHS, considering the vast number of CGHS beneficiaries spread over every part of the country.

Though BSNL was formed in 2000, initially BSNL absorbed retirees were not allowed to become CGHS members. It is also a fact that BSNL retirees were not that much eager to switch over to CGHS as the BSNL MRS was considered to be better. However, some of the BSNL retirees of metro cities raised a demand of switching over to CGHS and Pensioners Organisations, including AIBDPA took up the issue with Department of Telecommunications and the government. We argued that BSNL absorbed pensioners are drawing their pension from civil estimates of the Central Government as in the case of central government pensioners and hence they are also eligible for CGHS. After much pressure and Struggles the government agreed to the demand and orders in this regard was issued in 2016

.Still most of the BSNL absorbed pensioners preferred to continue in BSNL MRS for obvious reasons. However, there has been a change among the pensioners, when their medical benefits remaining unpaid for years together and the BSNL administration persuading the retirees to switch over to CGHS.CGHS has its advantages and disadvantages as well. The CGHS card holder is entitled to get outdoor treatment from any Wellness Centre of CGHS and cashless indoor treatment from any empanelled hospital in the country. BSNL absorbed pensioners with CGHS card and residing at CGHS uncovered area have also the option to avail monthly medical allowance of Rs.1000 in lieu of outdoor treatment.

A good number of BSNL absorbed pensioners have already switched over to CGHS. But the hesitation among the vast number of BSNL absorbed pensioners is due to the following disadvantages. (1) CGHS Wellness Centers are available in a limited number of cities in the country and the government is least interested in widening the functioning of CGHS. (2) There are no adequate number of doctors and para medical staff in many Wellness Centers and the pensioners have to wait hours to avail the services.(3) There are no sufficient number of empanelled hospitals under CGHS. For example, it is reported that there is not a single empanelled hospital in Mumbai. It is mainly due to the delay in payment of hospital dues by the government and the lower CGHS rates

.Further many of the absorbed BSNL pensioners find it unaffordable to pay one-time life membership to CGHS. AIBDPA had asked the BSNL management to pay the one-time membership amount of the willing retirees directly to CGHS. Though BSNL management was positive in this regard, may be due to some technical snag, this has not been implemented. Instead, the BSNL management has agreed to reimburse the amount paid to CGHS within one month.

In these circumstances, as an organisation, we can’t compel any pensioner to switch over to CGHS. On the other hand they may take a decision based on their medical requirements and the factors clarified here.

The Central Government is ought to provide better medical facilities to its employees and pensioners. First of all, the government should have a comprehensive scheme to identify the short comings and to take effective steps to resolve. Wellness centes have to be started in all the districts, regular doctors and para medical staff are to be posted and all medicines procured for OP treatment, prominent and speciality hospitals are to be empanelled, to attract such hospitals, the government should ensure periodical revision of CGHS rates and prompt payment of the hospital dues. After all, the government is not extending CGHS services free of cost to the Central Government Employees and pensioners. Huge amounts are being collected as subscription from the beneficiaries and therefore they are entitled to get quality and hassle free medical facilities.

Government should also implement the positive court judgments without limiting these to the particular individuals.We shall definitely continue our fight for allotment of sufficient funds for clearing the pending medical benefits. So also we are committed to fight for the improvement in the functioning of CGHS, particularly in the wake of the recommendations of the 110th Parliamentary Standing Committee.