GOVT IMAGE TURNING BAD...

Sri Tejashvi Surya,
Hon'nle MP,
Lok Sabha

Sir,

       GOVT IMAGE TURNING BAD...

Modi Govt has been doing tremendous job for Nation building, keeping common man in center, since day one it came in power. In last election, people voted him in power with larger mandate.

His incorruptible image was taken as his political might and to ruin that Rahul Gandhi didn't spare any stone unturned. You have had been in every thick & thin of this war, know better than any one else.

I am a common retired civilian, 72, had worked in Banking & in biggest trade union, but somewhere I found Union in left trap, quite against my patriotic texture. I am not member of your Party, but it's true nationalism, for sure, that I like and I like honest, sincere, dedicated and incorruptible image of Prime Minister Modi to core of my heart. While working for retired fraternity of Banks, in my view 98% people vouch with my feelings about Modi Government.

We run Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists having followings in lakhs, serve their cause selflessly, without any monetary subscription. Take us as sympathizer & friend of your party and government.

We wrote you sometime for Bank Pensioners' plight. We were delighted to receive spontaneous affirmative response from your office and found your unstarred question 159 in Parliament. Hope, the reply of State Minister is being perused by you, which we found wrong and misleading.

We have written to PM, FM, RBI governor on very touching issue of Penalty that 18 PSBs have had recovered from Savings Bank Account holders, during FY 2016-17, 2017-18 & 2018-19, running into several hundreds of crores, since they failed to maintain minimum monthly balance in their account. We have sent a copy of mail to you.

Who could be under this category is an important question to be perused and answered. They may be poor peasants, labourers, pensioners, widow/old age pensioners, students etc. From such peoples' accounts deducting arbitrarily in crores, as the figure has been placed in Parliament for last 3 years, is sheer injustice and abuse of power. They have placed whatever they could in their accounts. Maximum Banks can disallow meagre SB account interest in such accounts, but what right they have to penalize and recover in the name of minimum balance, no operation, dormant etc?

On the other side, we wish to point out, RTGS transactions running into lakhs in number and thousands of crore in money terms go without any charge in the name of promotion of digital transactions. These are commercial transactions based on real time totally free and today small to big money transfers are done through NEFT/RTGS.

Earlier, mode of remittances were TTs, DDs, MTs and it were source of good income for Banks. Now, these have become a part of bank archives.

One side banks are poching poor SB account holders flesh in the name of not maintaining minimum balance, while other side, businesses are facililated free commercial money transfers in the name of digital banking promotion. Such transactions must be charged appropriately, since they are business related transactions. They are swift, easy, safe and secured mode of transfer.

Further, here just you deposit money in your account and remit through RTGS and it reaches in right account, where one withdraw the same. In this process bank staff is just counting notes while accepting or paying other point, without any gain to Bank. Such transactions having business purposes, must pay necessary charges for services they avail from Banks. Banks are national enterprises and this way serving businessmen, free of charge, is wrong and loss to nation. Such transactions are routed through Current, Overdraft, Cash Credit accounts of business firms. Once, bank can give such facility to Savings Account holders, but not to trade.

Banks are loosing thousands of crore revenue annually. It's taken as deliberate favour to businesses and corporates by PSBs.

We seek your involvement in our mission to protect poor account holders and banks' income. Please take initiative in this regard.

Hope, we get your help and assistance in this regard.

With best wishes,


( J. N. Shukla)
National Convenor,
Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists
Prayagraj
29.11.2019
9559748834

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List of important  cases and their present  status as collected on Whatsapp  is as follows.


*Based upon the information given from time to time, latest position of case filed so far by the group is as under:*

*01)* Writ No. 8718/2018 for enhanced gratuity to be made effective from 01.01.2016: Earlier dates were 23.07.2019 & 16.10.2019.  Next date is 19.03.2020.

*02)* Writ No. 867/2019 for inclusion of DA, Spl Pay, Division by 26 Days for calculation of Gratuity: Next date is 27.11.2019.

*03)* Writ No. 4532/2019 for inclusion of Spl Pay in salary as per court decision to calculate Pension: Earlier date was 28.08.2019. Next date is 04.12.2019.

*04)* Writ No. 11846/ 2019 for tax exemption limit on Leave Encashment to be at par with Govt Employees: Earlier date was 08.11.2019. Next date is 04.05.2020.


Sri Anurag Thakur,
Union Minister of State,
Ministry of Finance,
GOI, New Delhi.

Hon'ble Minister,

*Unstarred Question 159 of Sri Tejashvi Surya, Hon.MP*
*Your Reply dated. 18.11.2019 on Floor of Lower House*

Your kind attention is drawn to the questions of Hon'ble Member of Parliament Sri Tejashvi Surya in Group Insurance matter of Bank Retirees, which have been replied by you on 18.11.2019 on the floor of Lower House. In the matter, we would like to invite your kind attention to the followings:

1. It's unfortunate to note that the department concerned, DFS, side-tracked its own letter   F. No.14/7/92-IR(vol-ii) dated 24.2.2012 through which the decisions regarding revision of Welfare Funds, as recommended by Khandelwal Committee, have been conveyed.   Paragraph 1 of the letter stipulates the quantum and ceiling of Welfare Funds.

Paragraph 2 deals with as to how this fund could be used. Sub para (ii) of the letter read as under:

(ii) Banks may consider the option of Group Insurance Policy for both serving and retired employees, instead of direct payment of the benefit from the fund.

2. The letter in question was addressed to Sri K. Unnikrishnan, Dy. Chief Executive, IBA which remained un complied for over 3 years and 7 months. However, in 2015, IBA/Banks thought of Group Insurance Policy, much to meet the requirements of working employees and paid the premium from Welfare Funds. The said Group Insurance Policy was extended to Retired employees, on self-borne premium condition.

3. The issue is: when govt decision was to spend Welfare Funds on Group Insurance Policy for both, working and retired employees, how Banks could pay for working staff only and denied to retired? When the Group Insurance Policy was introduced, there was one premium for both, working staff and retirees. Now, the premium of working staff is different and quite lower than the retirees. For your kind information, we would like to point out that for 3 lakh cover premium in 2015-16 was Rs.5600/, which went on increasing in an unprecedented manner in subsequent years and reached to Rs.25000/- in 2019-20.

4. There are about 1 lakh family pensioners, whose pension ranges between 7000 to 10000 per month. Well, you can understand their difficulty in taking policy cover and affordable premium. This resulted in 75% retirees uncovered of health insurance.

5. Another issue is: govt letter entitles Retirees to Welfare Funds benefits, but Banks is not spending single pie on retirees. Entire Welfare Funds go to top executives to bottom level functionaries right from morning newspapers, tea, coffee, snacks, lunch, executive thalis, petrol, scholarships, holiday homes to last rituals. How disgraceful it looks, Mr. Minister, that ignoring the basic cannon as to whose need is greater, Welfare Funds are spent on those who are well paid and can afford the self-tea cost. How disgraceful is the scenario where top Executives are served subsidized Executive thalis or dependents accorded lavish funds for their funerals? Retirees are left to die without medical support. How death is evaluated on different scales? The working staff in case of death dependents get lakhs for the funeral, while retirees death is celebrated by management as it stops pension outgo! How cruel and inhuman it looks, Sir?

Hon'ble Minister, we do not know whether your reply prepared by DFS was right or wrong or misleading that way jeopardizing the privilege of Hon'ble M. P. or lower House, but it was an evasive endeavour on the part of DFS to shield the guilts of others.

We understand, in the recent past group of retirees had called on you and explained their plights, which you heard and assured to look into. How could you forget it so soon and write the wrong answer, sir?

Please ensure that the WFs are genuinely spent on working and retirees staff. Please, direct banks to pay the premium as decided by govt for retirees as well and arrange to refund paid one by retirees so far.

With Respectful Regards,

J.N. Shukla
National Convenor
Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists
Prayagraj
20.11.2019
9559748834

CC: PMO
CC: FMO
CC; Sri Tejashvi Surya, Hon'ble MP, Lok Sabha
- for information.


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MESSAGE FROM VIJAYA BANK RETIREES' ASSOCIATION, MALLESHWARAM, BANGALORE
=====================
A discussion was held with GM, HRM, BOB Mr. C. Malolan at HO, Baroda on 25.11.2019 on  following issues, when I was there in connection with CC meeting of Dena Bank Retirees:
*The issues discussed and RESPONSE  are as follows:
1. Commutation difference under 1616-1684 points of cpi.- The commutation difference will be paid  to all eligible retirees very shortly, as per guidelunes given by IBA.
2. SILVER MOMENTO: IT WILL BE given to all who have retired afte