If OROP Is Right Of Armed Forces Personnel, Pension Parity Between Existing And Future Pensioners Is Right Of Government Civilian Pensioners – C. Srikumar

Recently the Finance Minister while moving the Finance Bill for the approval of Lok Sabha has incorporated a chapter for amendment of the CCS (Pension) Rules using the Government’s power under Article 309 of the Constitution. This has created fear in the minds of the existing Central Government Pensioners and they feel that they are betrayed and it is a cruelty on them. The Government by virtue of passing the Finance Bill has now got the authority to establish distinctions amongst the pensioners. The Central Government has now got powers to decide about the pension revision of the existing pensioners including its date of revision whatever may be the recommendations of the Pay Commission.

Opposition MP’s have protested against this unilateral decision of the Government. Many Organisations and Trade Unions have already started raising their voice and concern against the decision taken by the Government to discriminate the Pensioners.

Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of AITUC in a statement issued today, have protested against the Government decision and has stated that it nullifies the judgment of the Supreme Court for maintaining the parity between the existing and future pensioners. She has urged the Government to withdraw the amendments made in the Pension Rules and called upon the Pensioners and the Government employees to fight back and have assured the support of AITUC by standing with the millions of Pensioners.

www.indianpsu.com had an interaction in this regard with C. Srikumar, General Secretary of AIDEF and National Secretary of AITUC to know his reaction and views on the Governments Decision. His version is published here –

The Demand for One Rank One Pension by the Armed Forces Personnel and Pension Parity for the Civilian Pensioners without any discrimination is a justified demand of the Pensioners. Today’s Pensioners have served the Nation round the clock in different departments and capacities for more than 3 decades. A major portion of their life was dedicated to the service of the Nation and its people. The present government by this arbitrary amendments in the pension rules has silently taken the power to discriminate the existing and future pensioners. The Central Government Employees Organisations and the Staff side of the National Council JCM has been demanding total parity for the existing and future pensioners whenever the recommendations of the pay commissions are implemented. Supreme Court in several Judgments has categorically observed and ruled that such type of discriminating the pensioners on the basis of the date of retirement is against Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution of the India. Government wanted to nullify all these Supreme Court Judgments by using its power under Article 309. The Government Pensioners were the backbone of the Government in its governance. Pension is not a charity or a gift, it is earned through dedicated and committed service to the Nation. As rightly stated by the General Secretary of AITUC, we are living in a country where everything is privatised. Health Care and the Price Rise of essential commodities is the major challenge before the Central Government Employees and the Pensioners. Already the Pensioners are struggling to meet their economic requirement. This decision of the Government has come as a big blow on them. We will oppose this move and fight back and we will also insist the 8th Central Pay Commission to recommend for maintaining total parity between the existing pensioners and the employees who will be retiring after the implementation of 8th CPC Recommendations. Our fight against NPS, UPS and now against the present discrimination by the government will continue and will be intensified.

The statement issued by AITUC is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –