A special meeting was conducted by AIBSNLPWA, Coimbatore District.

The meeting was held at the Recreation Club premises of Office of PGM,Coimbatore 641043 with a gathering of about 150 members.

11.00 am

Initially International Womens Day function started in the presence of.  S/Shri P.S.Raman Kutty, All India President, G.Gurusamy, District President,  B.Arunachalam, District Secretary.

Smt Kalyani Hariharan, Asst Secretary presided over the function. She recalled that the Womens Day is observed since 1913. She added that the Govt should come forward to pass the bill affording 33% reservation to women in all fields.

Felicitation by:

Smt Chandra Priya, HR Advisor cited Mahakavi Bharathi who initiated several activities for womens liberation during his days. In ancient days women did cooking with prayers. Education, freedom of speech is essential to women for their uplift.

Senior member Smt Swarnambal, Vice President Shri C.Palanisamy also felicitated. Smt Jothi presented a poem on Womens Day and sang a song.

Vice President Shri R.Thiruvenkatasamy felicitated. In his speech he mentioned the various stages of women begin with childhood. The observance of the Day started in America, now celebrated in various parts of the world. Normally women give birth child except Male Sea Horse which give birth young ones through its mouth.

Asst Secretary Smt B.Jayasri and member Shri C.Palanisamy also felicitated.

In her concluding speech Smt Kalyani Hariharan condemned the atrocities and sex rapes committed by the society upon women including girl children. She made  appeal to the people and the Govt to stop such evils.

In order to give way to Shri P.S.Raman Kutty to deliver his special address,  the Womens Day Celebration did not continue beyond 12 Noon. . Due to overwhelming gathering of lady members,  District Secretary Shri B.Arunachalam assured that a special meeting will be shortly arranged in a elaborate manner.

12 NOON

Special meeting presided by the Dt President.

Welcome address given by the Dt Secretary. He put forth issues on (1) Drivers problem- extra increment case, (2) Medical bills- non creation of vendor code, (3) Pension of last pay drawn/average of 10 months pay and (4) Extra increment denial to non executives who did not get 10% promotion.

Special address by Shri P.S.Raman Kutty.

Anomoly on Pension:  After 1.1.2006, pension is paid 50% on Last Pay drawn.

10 years service is enough is to get full pension. But prior to 1.1.2006, it is paid 50% on last 10 months average pay .Full pension who completed 33 years and others on pro rata basis. This is an anomaly and All India Union is fighting to remove it. It is also planning to file petition in Supreme court.

Corporate office ordered to pay the medical bills within a month time. But most of the SSAs in several circles do not follow this time schedule. All India Union discussed the issue with the Director(HR/ Fin) and other senior officers to over come this delay.

Income Tax is deducted from the payment of medical bills beyond Rs 15,000/- even though the annual income of the pensioners is within non taxable limit. Our union took up the matter to Corporate Office. Such pensioners have to submit Form 12 B.B. to the concerned SSA not to effect TDS.

Even though the cabinet approved for payment of 78.2% fitment DR arrears by 31.12.2016, most of the DOT CCAs did not pay the arrears because most of the SSAs forwarded the revised pension sanction memos alongwith service books only during the last week of Dec,2016.. The delay caused in payment brought to the notice of Corporate Office by our union. Corporate office sent reminders to all the CCAs to expedite the cases.

The limit of Gratuity payment is enhanced from 10L to 20 L Rupees from 1.1.2016.

Our union won the the pension anomaly case in r/o the retirees before 31.7.2001. Efforts are under way with  our corporate office to release the order in this regard without filing Writ Appeal by BSNL.

Future Pension Revision:  As we are covered under  CCS(Pension) Rules,1972, our union is demanding the 7^th CPC fitment factor to BSNL pensioners from  1.1.2017 since we got the earlier revision in 1.1.2007. We also demand future pension revisions from 1.1.2027 and onwards based  CPC fitment factor.

In Kerala Circle, extra increment is offered to the pensioners who won in CAT case. Our union is pressing the Corporate Office to extend the said benefit to other pensioners on the same lines of CAT judgement.

Now our demand is achieved in getting land line free calls between 9 pm to 7 am wef. 9.3.2017.

A request was put forth to All India Union to take up the minimum balance issue pronounced by  SBI to the Top level bank authority through our CMD to continue the status quo since most our pensioners are getting their pension from SBI.

Meeting concluded by 2 pm with a vote of thanks by Shri S.Ramakrishnan, Asst Secretary.

Compiled by R.Perumal. VP