E circular from GEN Secy D.Krishnan.

 FEDERATION OF RETIRED LIC CLASS I OFFICERS' ASSOCIATIONS        

Acting President :     P.P.Dhamija R-6/104, Raj Nagar, GHAZIABADE     – 201002. Tel: 0120-4107104 / 9810186067 Email Id – premdhamija38@gmail.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/72                                                23-09-2021

Dear Friends,

Reg:   Bridging    the     long    gap

 

My hearty Greetings to all of you as we enter the season of Festivals. I thought it is pretty long since I last communicated to you. Yes, there wasn’t anything particular that I could have shared by way of information on our matters of importance. But communication for its own sake carries sanctity, and I thought I should bridge the long gap.

For one thing most of you must have known that the next date for Hearing on the SLPs has been pushed to 15^th Nov 2021, and one can’t be sure of this date too, as this computer listing has to translate into a Cause list bearing it out finally!  I remember the judges hurriedly going past our item, with apparently very little patience, and while doing so, dropped a hint in answer to a question from the Senior Counsel, that our Case would be pushed to a date two or three weeks later.  That has now turned into 3 months or more! Though I do not have any clear information, I am tempted to believe that this undue postponement of our hearing could have been caused by informal nudging from the Govt. sources, as they would like to settle the Revision Demand of the Bank Pensioners, in their own way, before the SC could finally dispose of our Case. An earlier decision on our Case , might adversely impact the manner in which they would like to dispose of the Revision of Pensions for the Bank Retirees.

 In other words, they would first like to fashion the Pension Revision question for the Bank Pensioners, which would also incidentally set a pattern for our settlement in the LIC. If the Govt. did take a call to settle the Bank Pensioners’ revision, say, on lines of the RBI settlement two years ago, which would be a one-time course correction, rather than an ongoing process of continued revisions, and would involve also no Arrears payment, that would be better for them, than a positive Court verdict, on unanticipated lines, for the LIC Pensioners, setting a precedent for the Bank retirees too.

This is all part of my fertile imagination and has no real basis. The projected thinking is based entirely on the undue haste with which our Hearing was by-passed on the 10^th of August, and thrown into a longer wait than the known predicament of the aged pensioner community would have demanded from their normally discerning thought process.

As for the Family Pension matter, I had addressed a letter to the Chairman requesting follow-up with the Govt., as they have already settled the issue for the Bank Pensioners. I guess the delay now being experienced is based on the terms and conditions being finally drafted by the IBA, which would eventually form the basis for notifying it,  for the LIC Pensioners too. All the other groups representing the Pensioners too are pursuing the matter with the LIC actively. The recent circular of the AIIEA dt.  20^th Sept indicates their talk on phone with the MD Sri Gupta, where he is reported to have taken it up with the Govt. already.

I had initiated a proposal with the Executive Committee members of the Federation, regarding the possibilities of holding our General Council Meeting due in Dec this year, as per normal order of things. The views coming back from the members point to the situation not being congenial as of now to hold the Meeting in Dec 2021.  So, we shall keep a watch on the movement of things in general and take a call on this later.

We had given a call, sometime earlier, regarding approaching our Retiree friends, who retired after the effective date of settlement of the Revision (1-8-2017) for employees, to collect donations, to strengthen the cause of fighting the issues of the Retirees. I have perhaps information only from the Odisha Assn. for having transferred an interim amount of one lakh on this count. I would request the other Associations too, who have made the collections, to make the transfer to the Federation Account early under information to us.

There is a C O Circular dt 13-9-2021, on the subject of ‘inclusion of independent children under Group Mediclaim Scheme’. This is being reproduced here as part of this Circular for the general information of all. This of course is a follow-up on the CO Circular dt. 1-4-2018, clarifying on certain references being now received in the CO on the subject.

Friends, the long lull on many of our important matters, should not give rise to a sense of dejection. On such matters, Decisions, to come up, take time. This is especially so,  since all our changes are vested with the Govt. and not with the LIC Management. So, do hold your patience and keep Hopes alive, and believe strongly that we will eventually get our just demands granted by the Govt.

Many of our units have asked for guidelines regarding the formation of a new unit of the Federation. The write-up on the general instructions is attached for your reference.

My heartiest Greetings to you all

D.Krishnan.