Pension matters.

Pension matters

One view based on long experience is that nothing dramatic may happen, through judiciary or otherwise, on our pending genuine problems unless and until parallel situations affecting Bank pensioners are finally dealt with by IBA/GOI, .one way or the other. We are therefore naturally keeping in touch with friends in the banking sector who are fighting for justice to their pensioners. The one identical problem is the denial of 100% neutralization on DR, the only difference being the date on which the discrimination arose. 

Also, the issue affecting the pensioners of SBI alone calls for our close watch. In SBI those who retired after the seventh bipartite settlement was effected still receive their pensions based on the earlier 6th bipartite settlement. This is something similar to the case of retired of the period 1/8/92 to 1/4/93 for whom the judiciary has already handed down a verdict favourable to the pensioners in MC Jain's case. The writ petitions both by a group of individuals and the Assn. are coming up in Delhi HC (before the same bench hearing our cases)  on 8/11/ 2016. Meantime it is learnt that very recently by a division bench of the Delhi HC itself has allowed an individual's writ on the very same matter (Jaipuriar's case) and a review petition by SBI management stands dismissed. Further a single judge of the Madras HC (Madurai bench) relying on an earlier Division bench judgement of the same high court has clearly held that when once an issue common to a group is decided on an individual's petition the benefit of the same should be extended to all similarly placed persons without driving them to file several cases separately.

We are more than worried in view of the fact 23 years had gone by and a rough estimate could be half the affected pensioners are no more to receive their legitimate dues. With such repeated judicial pronouncements, pursuing the matter once again with the new Chairman in charge of LIC may help us. We shall be doing it once our EC meeting on 28/11 and the Delhi HC hearing on 30/11 are over. 

Coming back to our pension discrimination matter, the optimistic view is that a final verdict in our favour will set the bureaucracy in motion towards a permanent solution of the nagging problem. 

Meantime we appeal to all our members to understand that the long writings in circulation have no worthwhile value.

With Greetings,

GN Sridharan 

Gen. Secretary

Federation of Retd.LIC class1 officers' Assns