Page 35 - index

Expert Committee hearings on TES Gr.'B' seniority is completed on 30.09.2015: GS attended the meeting of the Expert committee headed by Shri Ram Murthy and Shri D.C. Sharma, Hon'ble Retd. Judges wherein the hearings, reply/counter reply by the respective advocates and BSNL's Senior Advocate have been completed today. About 18 hearings took place during the last 7- 8 months. The expert committee will be submitting its report to the Hon'ble Supreme Court by 31st October 2015 positively and the case may be listed for hearing in the Hon'ble Supreme Court thereafter during November - December 2015. Hence, the final judgment on TES Gr. B seniority may come in the month of January - February 2016. Meeting with Shri N. Siva Sailam, Addl. Secretary (T), DoT on 30.09.2015: GS and GS, President AIRBSNLEWA met Shri N. Siva Sailam, Addl. Secretary (T), DoT and greeted him assuming the high office of AST, DoT and requested to extend his cooperation and support to BSNL for its growth. AST appreciated our concern and mentioned that BSNL is a big organization having all India presence which has huge network and expertise. People throughout the country want to take service from BSNL but BSNL should be customer oriented and responsive. BSNL customers knows lineman, his behavior and attitude who is at the interface. He does not know who is the AGM or GM or CGM hence BSNL lineman should be more responsive and customer friendly. He further advised that all BSNL Unions and Associations should educate/advocate their members to be more customer oriented. We appreciated his concern and assured our fullest co-operation for the betterment of BSNL. We further pleaded that due to the financial constraints BSNL is facing problem in procurement of material/equipment and for CAPEX bank loans are being taken at commercial rates since the BSNL reserves are exhausted. The dues from DoT w.r.t. BWA spectrum refund, rural deficit charges are not being paid by DoT to BSNL. License fee / USO charges are being regularly taken from BSNL. The pension contribution on maximum of IDA pay scale is being charged from BSNL instead of actual basis of BSNL employees, ADC withdrawn from 2011 etc. has adversely affected the viability of BSNL. The 78.2% IDA fitment benefit to BSNL Pensioners has not yet not been granted for last two and half years. AST appreciated our concern on all these issues and assured to keep in mind as and when these items are discussed in DoT. GS and GS, President AIRBSNLEWA met on 30.09.2015 the concerned officers in DoT and discussed regarding 78.2% IDA fitment benefit to BSNL pensioners retired prior to 01.01.2007 and post retired 01.01.2007. It is understood that some of the queries of DoE has been replied by the Internal Finance of DoT and remaining are to be replied by the Pension Cell of DoT. The case has been received in the Pension Cell from Internal Finance of DoT. The 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 @ 14.5 % 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. GS met Shri Shameem Akhtar, Sr. GM (SR) and looking after Sr. GM (Pers)on 29.09.2015 and discussed regarding: a. Membership verification of the executive Association: We expressed our concern against delay in getting the stay order vacated from the Hon'ble High Court Karnataka from the process of membership verification of Executive Associations. Sr. GM (SR) appreciated our concern and mentioned that CGMT Karnataka Circle has been asked to monitor the case personally to ensure early vacation of the stay orders. He expected that the case may be heard shortly and just thereafter the process of referendum will resume. b. CPC from SDE (T) to DE (T) left out cases: Sr. GM (Pers) informed that about 11ACRs/VCRs of left out SDEs have been received and their CPC minutes have also been approved and shortly the promotion orders will be issued. TELEWAVE Page-35 SEPTEMBER-2015