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EDITORIAL BSNL Pensioners are still deprived of 78.2% fitment benefit ------- All the BSNL Employees retiring after 10th June 2013 have been granted benefit of 50% IDA merger amounting to 78.2% IDA(as on 1/1/2007) vide Presidential Order issued under DOT Memo No.61-01/2012-SU dated 10th June 2013, but even after lapse of two and a half years the same benefit of 50% IDA merger has not been extended to BSNL Pensioners retiring between 1/10/2000 and 9/6/2013 in spite of repeated efforts and assurances given by DoT in various SCOVAmeetings and other Union/Association forums. The Cabinet Note to extend the benefit of 50% IDA merger to BSNL pensioners amounting to 78.2% as on 1/1/2007 was moved by DoT in February 2014 for inter-Ministerial circulation to DOP & W, DPE and DOE. After the clearance from DOP&W and DPE, the DOE in October 2014 suggested DOT with a caveat that DOT should take Cabinet approval for granting benefit of 50% IDAmerger to BSNL pensioners also as granted to the serving employees of BSNLon 10th June 2013. In proposed Cabinet Note, DOT Finance included the issue of annulment of the Cabinet decision dated 27/1/2005, circulated vide DOT OM NO.1-45/2003-B dated 15/6/2006 regarding pensionary liability of BSNL because DOT Finance observed that over a period of last two years or so the expenses incurred towards payment of pension to DOT/BSNL pensioners exceeded the 60% limit of TAX receipts by the Government from BSNL/MTNL and BSNL was liable/supposed to pay the excess expenditure as per DOT OM No. 1- 45/2003-B dated 15/6/2006. The proposed annulment of Cabinet Decision dated 27/1/2005 is not readily acceptable to Dept. of Expenditure and it has raised many queries on 5/8/2015 in response to DoT's proposal and seeks detailed justification for annulment of Cabinet Decision dated 27/1/2005. The case is held up in DoT for want of proper justification on this issue even though two previous Secretaries (T) have supported the case that liability of BSNL was limited to payment of Pension Contribution only as can be seen from DO letter issued by Shri. Nripendra Misra, the then Secretary DOT vide letter No.1-45/2003-B DATED 15/03/2005 addressed to CMD BSNL. This was again reiterated vide OM No.40-12/2007-Pen (T) dated 5th January 2009 issued by the then Secretary (T) Sri. Siddhartha Behura after holding meeting with all the nodal Ministries as disclosed under RTI queries. It was also learnt under RTI query that the then Member (F) while agreeing to proposed clarification dated 5/1/2009 also advised vide noting dated 24/12/2008 that the case for annulment of cabinet decision dated 27/01/2005 should also be proposed simultaneously because the said cabinet decision should not be left unattended. Present Member (F) has also proposed annulment of cabinet decision dated 27/01/2007 for BSNL pensioners. But DoE is seriously questioning and seeking justification for review of the cabinet decision dated 27/01/2005 regarding pensionary liability of BSNL. Now, the process is held up and delayed in various sections of DOT, which are finding it difficult to offer proper reply/justification in this matter. It is understood that some of the queries of DoE has been clarified by the Internal Finance of DoT and remaining are to be clarified by the Pension Cell of DoT. But, Pension Cell has further sent the Cabinet Note to Internal Finance of DoT to clarify the remaining queries also. Since, the information pertains to Finance Wing only and the proposal is still pending in Internal Finance of DoT. The DoE queries are mainly regarding the BSNL pensioners retired prior to 01.10.2000 (about 96,000 Pensioners, Pension liability is estimated about Rs. 1,415 Crores) from DoT and the BSNL Pensioners retired after 01.10.2000 (about 1,66,000 Pensioners, Pension liability is about Rs. 3,132 Crores). The benefit of 78.2% fitment has already been extended in FCI and some other PSUs).As per DoE, the 60% pension liability of BSNL Pensioners as per the existing provisions of January 2005 order should continue since all the assets and liabilities of the then DoT/DTS/DTO were transferred to BSNL. However, in true sense, the liabilities have been transferred to BSNL but the assets have not been transferred to BSNL. Moreover, no loan has been given to BSNL from DoT except the Notional loan of Rs. 7500/- Crores (Paper Loan only) against which BSNL has paid interest amount @ 13.5 % to DoT about Rs. 12,000/- Crores. The depreciation amount during last 15 years is increasing year by year. BSNL is continuously making losses for the last five - six years in the tune of more than Rs. 40,000 Crores. Hence, all these points are to be considered by DoT/DoE and withdraw the arbitrary decision of 60:40 from Rule 37A for BSNL Pensioners and sole responsibility of pension to BSNL Pensioners should be borne by Govt. of India as per the Rule 37A. Forum of BSNL Unions /Associations serious and concerted efforts are needed in this regard to resolve the issue. Let, the Forum to decide serious agitation on this issue immediately.