After the news on cabinet approval of 78.2% IDA merger to the BSNL pensioners retired prior to 10-06-2013 was flashed on 05-07-2016, Com.V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor and Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary are overwhelmed with telephone calls, mobile, sms messages ,whatsup and email from hundreds of comrades through out the country conveying their joy ,congratulations and thanks for the historical achievement. Though they have tried to respond individually initially,it became absolutely difficult later as the number became so high. So they request all such comrades to bear with them for this unavoidable lapse and to please treat this as an individual response.
AIBDPA is of the firm opinion that the genuine demand was achieved through sustained struggles and crucial interventions at the right time. AIBDPA itself has conducted seven country wide struggles on this demand including the massive and impressive Sanchar Bhawan March on 20-11-2014. The employees’organisations under the leadership of BSNLEU supported the demand greatly by including this demand also for their two strikes, one by the Joint Action Committee of Non-Executive employees unions on 27-11-2014 and another two days strike by Forum of BSNL unions/Associations on April 21,22, 2015.
AIBDPA started pursuing the issue right from 14-06-2013 itself by meeting the top officers and demanding early extension of this benefit to the BSNL pensioners retired before 10-06-2013. But the efforts were confronted with so many twists and turns some of them quite unexpected too. So we had to resort to agitational path and to meet the hon’ble Minister for Communications twice. Coms.M.B.Rajesh and Shankar Prasad Dutta both MPs of the Lok Sabha also discussed the issue with the Minister. We had met the DoT Secretary ,Shri.Rakesh Garg many times and after his transfer the new DoT Secretary Shri.J.S.Deepak twice at crucial junctures.
The achievement is of double delight, as the 60:40 ratio for payment of pensionary benefits to absorbed BSNL pensioners is also waived by the cabinet. At the time of our struggle for pension revision for the pre 2007 BSNL pensioners itself AIBDPA had demanded scrapping of this condition since it will be a road block and head ache every time when ever the demand of pension revision is raised. AIBDPA also took up the issue in the memorandum to the 7th Pay Commission for their intervention to get it scrapped. At a particular stage, it was Ms.Annie Moraes, Member(Finanace), DoT who initiated to include the proposal of waiving 60:40 condition in the cabinet note. But it attracted strong objection from the Department of Expenditure and therefore delayed the issue the maximum. Still it proved to be quite advantageous with the approval of the proposal by the union cabinet.And now, the entire responsibility rather liability for payment of pension and pensionary benefits to absorbed BSNL pensioners rests with the Central Government which is the significant achievement.
So Comrades, it was no magic or individual heroism but the fruit for the joint efforts by all of us and the credit also goes to all the comrades who have contributed what ever little they could. We have more to be achieved and let us march forward with unity and added vigour. Unity for struggla and struggle for unity. Red Salute, Comrades.
..... K.G.Jayaraj GS AIBDPA
