Before PM Modi Meets Union Leaders, AIDEF Appeals For Restoration Of Old Pension Scheme

Prime Minster Narendra Modi has convened a meeting with the Union Leaders of Central Government Employees in a letter issued by Department of Personnel on 21.08.2024, the Union Leaders who are representing in the Standing Committee of National Council (JCM) are invited for a meeting with the Prime Minster. After Narendra Modi took over as a Prime Minster for the 3rd time, on behalf of the JCM Staff Side a memorandum was submitted to him on 18.06.2024, bringing to his notice about 14 major demands which includes setting up of 8th Pay Commission, Restore Old Pension Scheme, Withdraw Corporatization of Ordnance Factories, Release 18 months DA Arrears, Restoration of Commuted Portion of the Pension after 12 years, CGHS Wellness in all Districts, to implement various Supreme Court Judgements on service matters to the non-petitioners etc.,.

So far, on these issues, there has been no response from the Government. At present the Prime Minister has invited the Union Leaders for a discussion. www.indianpsu.com came to know from reliable sources that the Prime Minister is mainly calling the Union Leaders to inform the Government position on the recommendations of the TV Somanathan Committee on improvement in the Contributory Pension Scheme NPS. The employees by and large who were recruited after 01.01.2004 are not happy with improvement in NPS, since they have to continue to contribute 10% of their wages for pension. Their demand is only to restore the Old Pension Scheme.

AIDEF, one of the major Central Government Employees organizations representing the Defence Civilian Employees have alone boycotted the NPS improvement committee meetings, since according to them their demand is only for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, since it is Non-Contributory and many other benefits like Commutation, DR on Pension, Restoration of Commuted Pension after 15 years, increase in the Pension after 80 years and enhancement of Pension after every Pay Commission, supplementary Family Pension for un-married, widow, divorcee daughter and for physically challenged children / differently-abled children etc., AIDEF in an appeal which they are submitted today to the Prime Minister has conveyed to him about their inability to attend the meeting with him, since the discussion in the meeting is focused only on improvement in NPS. They have also mentioned in their appeal not only to withdraw NPS and Restore OPS but also to withdraw the Corporatizations of Ordnance Factories, Restructuring of DRDO & DGQA and also reduction of Manpower in MES & Navy etc., www.indianpsu.com accessed a copy of AIDEF appeal dated 23.08.2024 addressed to the Prime Minister which we are publishing here for the benefit of our viewers.

For the personal attention of Hon’ble Prime Minister

A Fervent appeal to the Hon’ble Prime Minster, Government of India on behalf of the 3.5 Lakhs Defence Civilian Employees.

To
Shri. Narendra Damodardas Modi ji,
Hon’ble Prime Minister
Government of India,
South Block, New Delhi – 110 001.

Respected Sir,
With lot of hope on your honour we submit this appeal for your favourable consideration and decision please. The All India Defence Employee Federation is the pioneer and major Federation of the Trade Union’s of 3.5 Lakhs of Defence Civilian Employees functioning from 1953. Your honour have convened a meeting with the Standing Committee of National Council (JCM), the representative forum of Central Government Employees on 24.08.2024. Even though, no specific agenda is given for the meeting, it is understood that the Hon’ble Prime Minister is expected to announce the Government’s decision for improvement / modification in the Contributory National Pension System implemented to the Government Employees who were recruited on or after 01.01.2004 by implementing the recommendations of NPS improvement Committee Chaired by the then Finance Secretary Shri. T V Somanathan.

The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) right from 2003 when the NPS was introduced by the then Government is demanding for withdrawal of the NPS and for restoration of the Defined Guaranteed and Non-Contributory Pension Scheme under CCS Pension Rule 1972 (Now 2021) for the following reasons:-

i. Government employees should not be subjected to any Contributory Pension Scheme as 10% of Wage reduction towards Contribution every month to the NPS account for their entire service period will subject the employees to undue Financial Hardship as the Salary is the only source of income for the Government employees for their survival.

ii. The Pay Scale fixed by the 5 th CPC on the premise that the Pension Liability is of the Government and no Contribution for Pension is payable by the employees and hence there is no justification for recovering 10% of the Wages of the employees for their Pension.

iii. There cannot be a discrimination between the employees recruited up to 31.12.2003 and on or after 01.01.2004, in the matter of Pension, since this amounts to violation of Article 14 & 16 of the Constitution of India.

iv. Pension is a Social Welfare rendering Socio Economic Justice to those who in the heyday of their life toiled ceaselessly for the employer / Government on an assurance that in their old age they would not be left in the lurch.

v. Government employees who contributed their lot during their service span of more than 3 decades for the Nation and the people of the Country cannot be treated as a liability when they retire from Government service.

vi. So far as Defence Civilian Employees are concerned, they are the Fourth Force of the Defence of our Country and they work along with / side by side with the Uniformed Personnel. While the Uniformed Personnel are eligible for Non-Contributory Pension, irrespective of their date of appointment the Defence Civilian Employees are highly discriminated by subjecting them to contributory NPS Pension Scheme.

vii. Any improvement in the NPS will never match the existing pension benefits under the CCS (Pension) Rule 1972 (Now 2021), since the basic anomaly / aberration in the NPS is, it is a Contributory Pension Scheme, where as in the Pension Scheme Under CCS Pension Rule 1972 (Now 2021), it is Non-Contributory Pension Scheme.

Sir, it is also pertinent to mention here that many State Governments have withdrawn NPS and restored the Non-Contributory Pension Scheme for their employees. All these points we have brought before Shri. T V Somanathan Committee and since the Chairman of the Committee has categorically told that his mandate is only to recommend certain improvement in NPS and not to restore the Non-Contributory Defined and Guaranteed Pension under CCS Pension Rule 1972 (Now 2021), we stayed away from attending further meetings with the Committee. In this situation, since the Committee has submitted its report, and your honour have invited the Standing Committee of National Council (JCM) only to discuss / decide certain improvement in NPS, the National Executive of AIDEF have taken a decision to stay away from the proposed meeting on 24.08.2024 and to appeal to the Hon’ble Prime Minister to consider favorably the demand of the Defence Civilian Employees and all Central Government Employees for restoration of the Non-Contributory Defined and Guaranteed Pension Scheme under CCS Pension Rule 1972 (Now 2021). We therefore appeal to your honour to consider this very genuine and justified demand and to restore the Non-Contributory Pension Scheme to those employees who are recruited on or after 01.01.2004. This will go a long way in motivating the Government Employees who ultimately work for the Nation and the People of the Country. This was evident that during the Covid-19 pandemic and Lockdown it was the Government employees who were in the front line for running the affairs of the Government 24 Hours risking their life.

Apart from the above, we also would like to record here that the Defence Industry owned by the Government and its employees are under severe attack for the past few years. To start with, the 222 years old Indian Ordnance Factories under the OFB which played a very vital role in the Defence of the Country in fighting all the wars including Kargil crises post independence was converted in to 7 Corporations during 2021 by ignoring all the previous written assurances given by the successive Defence Ministers. Post-Corporatization almost all the Ordnance Factories are suffering without workload etc., and the employees are all in deep distress, since their deemed deputation as Government employees is coming to an end on 30.09.2024, considerable reduction in their wages and even the dependents of the deceased employees are not given Compassionate appointment for the past more than 3 years. Our demand for withdrawal of Corporatization and publication of notification for retaining the status of the employees as Central Government Employees / Defence Civilian Employees till their retirement is not yet considered by the Government.

The next attack is on the DRDO Labs in the name of restructuring by implementing the adverse recommendation of Prof. Vijayaragavan Committee Report which will have far reaching implications on the Defence preparedness of our Country. All Departments like Navy, MES, EME, AOC etc., are being squeezed by abolishing posts, reducing the sanction, closure of EME Workshops, implementation of GOCO model in EME, Closure / Merger of Depots under AoC and large scale outsourcing and privatizations etc., is taking place. Based on the recommendations of NPC, DGQA is also being shrinked. Your honour will be surprised to know that the Bonus (PLB) for the Defence Civilian Employees of DGQA and EME for the year 2022-23 is not yet paid to them. None of the grievances and demands of the Defence Civilian Employees are settled and so much so, no meetings of the JCM, Additional Meeting Mechanism and Meeting with the Federations are taking place.

More than 2.5 Lakhs posts are lying vacant and the existing employees are subjected to work pressure and harassment. In a nut shell the Defence Civilian Employees are feeling neglected and discriminated. Demoralization and demotivation of the Defence Civilian Employees will have serious impact on the National Security and Defence Preparedness of the Country.

Sir, in view of the above, we request your honour to kindly spare little time to address the above genuine issues raised by us and kindly arrange to issue direction to the authorities in the Defence Ministry to settle the outstanding issues of the Defence Civilian Employees by entering in to dialogue with us. Awaiting for your earlier and favourable action, please.