Diwali Greetings from Gen.Secy. D.Krishnan DK 47 dated 13.11.2020

 

EDERATION OF RETIRED LIC CLASS I OFFICERS' ASSOCIATIONS   

President :    N.P. Bali 705, Sur, Veena Saaz, Thakur Complex, Kandivali (East), Mumbai - 400 101 Mob : 9820324213 Email Id - npbali@hotmail.com

General Secretary :    D Krishnan No.6/1, Sreshta Riverside Apartments, Wood Creek Road, Nandambakkam, Chennai - 600089 Tel : 9176635967 / 044 42850049. Email Id - dkrishnan1@gmail.com

E circular No.DK/47                                                13-11-2020

Friends,

Reg: Best Wishes for a Happy and ‘Safe’  DIWALI

It gives me great pleasure to greet all of you, and convey my Very Best Wishes for a Happy and Safe  DIWALI. Around Diwali the word SAFE is normally used to suggest safety with lights and crackers. This time around, there is an added ‘Guest’ in our midst, who has to be treated with care, if we are to remain safe through this Festive occasion. And you know very well what I mean – yes, it’s the Virus that’s been holding us to ransom over the last 9 months.  The trend of the Virus -spread has shown some abatement, and therefore permits us now to talk of celebrations for Diwali. Let this be the starting point of good things to come.

Speaking of good things, there really seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel, as they say. Most of you must have seen the video clip of the Finance Minister, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman’s address to the IBA around the finalization of the 5 yearly changes for Bank Employees. In an impassioned appeal to the Bank Employee Representatives, she said the Pensioners who have contributed to the growth of the Banking sector, should also be treated as part of the Employee group, when they think of improvements being made. She quoted the Armed forces’ culture in this context, where she said, they always considered the families of those who served in the past, as part of their own group.  

The normal experience of the pensioner class doesn’t have anything to compare with this turn-around! We would go on making representations on our problems, and the Authorities, right from our own Employer , to the Secretary in the Ministry of Finance , not to speak of the Minister, would never recognize our existence, least of all answer any of those issues to be addressed. Today, we have a Finance Minister who has taken repeated opportunities to stress on the need for recognizing the Pensioner class, their problems, and bring to mind the services rendered by them in their good days! If this is not light at the end of the long tunnel, I do not know what else can be!

So our hopes of finding acceptance from the Powers that be seem to be bearing fruit, and this Diwali should indeed be a happy harbinger of good things to come. Taking advantage of this apparently more favourable scenario, I thought I should send in a communication to the General Secretary of the in-service Class I Federation, Sri Raj Kumar, to take care of the three main expectations of the Pensioner class, in their talks with the Management, which essentially are:

1.    Up-gradation of Pension to bring in the element of Parity between the in-service employees and the Pensioners, as the market-prices for both the classes are one and the same;

2.    Family Pension to be raised uniformly to 30% of last pay drawn, as in the case of Central Govt. Pensioners;

3.    Pensioners of Age 80 and over should be given improvements in Pension on a 5 yearly basis , as is done for Central Govt. Pensioners.

I have particularly linked it to the great turn-around in the approach of the Minister of Finance regarding Pensioners.  A principle she spoke about in respect of Pensioners in the Banking Sector should apply equally to the Insurance Sector Pensioners as well. What is sauce for goose is sauce for Gander… !

On the Organisational Front, I have a good news to convey, as a new Association Unit of Pensioners of LIC Class I is to take shape shortly, at Udupi. I understand that they have enlisted nearly 75 members already! We shall keep you informed of the developments on this front in the coming days. 

Wishing everyone a very Happy and safe Diwali once again.

With greetings for safe and healthy stay

D.KRISHNAN 

General Secretar