AIBSNLPWA CALLS FOR PROTEST DEMONSTRATION ON 03-04-2025

 

AIBSNLPWA CALLS FOR PROTEST DEMONSTRATION ON 03-04-2025

 

 Secretary,  DOP&PW  meets virtually all the IDENTIFIED PENSIONERS'  ASSOCIATIONS. 

Coms  PSR,  Varaprasad,  Vittoban and  myself have  participated.

Secretary Shri  V Srinivas chaired the meeting.

 The Pension Secretary said that the validation was only to regularise the 6th CPC disparities. 

 As far as this government is concerned , the 7th CPC parity will continue and no change of policy is contemplated. 

Then on insistence from.Com

Shiva Gopal Mishra , Secretary,  staff side  JCM, he stated that a clarification will be issued from DoP&PW.

After the Staff Side Secretary Com Shiva Gopal Mishra spoke, some available Staff Side Members and some Pensioner Associations leaders got opportunity to voice their concerns.. However comrade Elangovan DRPU could raise an issue on restoration of commutation for which the Pension Secretary replied that the issue is premature and  8th  CPC  has to  consider that. 

He  assured that the past pensioners will continue to  get benefits like 7th CPC.

 The leaders from Pensioners Organisations could effectively raise their concerns that the validation bill will divide the pensioners as per their retirement. 

The Secretary repeated that the validation is only to regularise 6th CPC  disparities  and the policy of 7th CPC will be continued by 8th  CPC also. 

The meeting is utilised by the government to clear the apprehensions and doubts from the Pensioners' Associations .

P Gangadhara Rao 

VP, CHQ,  AIBSNLPWA 

Bangalore. 

29-3-2025.

 Pension Amendment: A Blatant Betrayal of Retirees’ Rights

All India BSNL Pensioners Association strongly condemns the government’s proposed amendment to the Pension Rules, which seeks to override Supreme Court rulings and deny rightful benefits to pensioners. This amendment is not just a bureaucratic change—it is an outright assault on the dignity and financial security of millions of retirees who have served the nation with dedication.

The Supreme Court, in landmark judgments such as D.S. Nakara v. Union of India, has upheld that pension is not a government charity but a vested right of retirees, and that differentiating pensioners solely on the basis of retirement date is unconstitutional. Instead of respecting these rulings, the government is now manipulating the law to suit its convenience, bypassing judicial scrutiny, and institutionalizing discrimination against past pensioners.

Exposing the Government’s Real Intentions

Deliberate Exclusion of Past Pensioners: The amendment ensures that future Pay Commission benefits apply only to new retirees, robbing existing pensioners of fair revisions. This is an open violation of equality and natural justice.

Financial Austerity at the Cost of the Elderly: The government is prioritizing budget control over retirees’ livelihoods, refusing to honor pension commitments despite collecting lifelong service from employees. If there is money for corporate bailouts and political extravagance, why deny justice to pensioners?

Suppressing Judicial Directives: This is a validation law—a sneaky move to neutralize unfavorable Supreme Court judgments that upheld pensioners’ rights. By rewriting the law, the government is evading legal accountability.

Pension is a Right, Not a Favor: Retirees do not live on government generosity—they live on what is rightfully theirs. This amendment reeks of betrayal, treating pensioners as a burden rather than the backbone of the nation’s workforce.

Call to Action

We, as a pensioners’ association, demand an immediate rollback of this anti-pensioner amendment. We call upon:

Parliamentarians to oppose this draconian move and stand for justice.

Trade Unions and Employee Associations to recognize this as a dangerous precedent that could impact future retirees as well.

The Judiciary to take suo motu cognizance of this attempt to override legal protections.

All pensioners and the public to unite in resisting this injustice and expose the government’s anti-retiree agenda.

If the government does not withdraw this amendment, we will escalate our protests nationwide, mobilizing pensioners, employees, and the public against this blatant violation of rights.

We refuse to be silent victims. Pension is our right, and we will fight for it.

V Vara Prasad 

General Secretary 

AIBSNLPWA 

27-3-2025.