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A meeting of the Forum was held on 04.03.2016, and a thorough review of the ongoing “Service With A Smile” (SWAS) programme was made. During the discussion, it emerged that the call of the Forum, to observe the “Service With A Smile” programme, has gone down well among the employees. The entire Non-Executive and Executives are voluntarily participating in various activities related to the SWAS, in almost all circles. The meeting also discussed about extending the SWAS beyond 100 days, and a decision in this regard would be announced soon. The meeting has decided to bring the following two points to the notice of the CMD BSNL. (a) It was pointed out in the meeting that more focus should be given to our Leased Line service segment, since this segment generates a lot of revenue for the Company. It is reported that, required equipments are not being made available, as a result of which a large number of connections could not be provided. Forum received a complaint in this regard from Maharashtra circle. Hence, the Management is requested to do the needful for the supply of necessary equipments to circles. (b) The meeting has resolved to request the CMD BSNL to ensure that periodical feedback reports are taken from the circles, by the Corporate Office, with regards to the implementation of the SWAS programme. This exercise will ensure more involvement of the circle and district level administrations in the programme. No. Forum/103/19 dated :07.03.2016 (Addressed to Shri Anupam Shrivastava, CMD BSNL, Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 001) 4. Sub: - Pension contribution being collected in excess from BSNL – requesting for your kind intervention - reg. We wish to bring the following important problem to your kind notice for favour of necessary action. BSNL is making payment of pension contribution to the government of India, in respect of the DoT recruitees, who are permanently absorbed in BSNL, and who are eligible for payment of government pension. However, excess money is being collected from BSNL on this count. As per the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission, pension contribution is being collected for the entire Central Government Employees, based on their basic pay (Pay in the Pay Band plus Grade Pay) only. This is implemented w.e.f. 01.01.2006. Whereas, in the case of the DoT employees who are permanently absorbed in BSNL, still pension contribution is being collected based on the maximum of their payscale. As a result of this, BSNL is paying around Rs.400 crore in excess to the government every year. On retirement, both the Central Government employees, as well as the DoT employees absorbed in BSNL, are eligible for the same government pension. As such, the pension contribution, to be paid in respect of both these sections of employees, should also be the same. The Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations has already raised this issue a number of times with the DoT. However, still pension contribution is being collected from BSNL, based on the maximum of the payscales of the employees only. A serious offshoot of this wrong method of calculation of pension contribution is the problem of stagnation, being faced by almost 65% of BSNL employees in the categories of Regular Mazdoor, Group ‘D’, etc. This is because, in the last Wage Revision, the Management had kept the maximum of the payscales of the employees as low as possible, with a view to lessen the burden of pension contribution to be paid to the government. As a result of this, an abnormally large number of employees have reached the maximum of their payscales and are suffering from the problem of stagnation. They do not get their annual increment every year. Hence, we fervently request you sir, to kindly intervene in this matter, and to ensure that the payment of pension contribution by BSNL is calculated based on the basic pay, as is being done in the case of the Central Government Employees. This will not only help to lessen the financial burden of BSNL, but will also help to resolve the problem of stagnation once for all¸ at least in the next round of Wage Revision in BSNL. We shall be very grateful to you sir, if you can kindly spare some of precious time to meet us in this regard. No. Forum/103/19 (ii) dated: 07.03.2016 (Address to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji, Hon’ble Minister of Communications & IT, Sanchar Bhawan, 20, Ashoka Road, New Delhi 110001) TELEWAVE 40 MARCH-2016