Sri Om Birla,
Hon'ble Speaker,
Lok Sabha,
New Delhi
(birla.om@sansad.nic.in/ombirlakota@gmail.com)
Hon'ble Speaker Sir,
Unstarred Question 159,
Answer Given by State FM on 18.11.19:
WHETHER MINISTER WAS RIGHT
OR
Misled The Lok Sabha?
We beg to invite your kind attention to above question and answer given by Hon'ble State Finance Minister, Sri Anurag Thakur on 18.11.19 on the floor of lower house.
Answer is misleading and evasive of facts. Issue relates to the benefit of free group health scheme from Welfare Funds of Banks, which is sanctioned by govt vide DFS letter dated 24.2.2012. Banks have provided group health scheme to serving employees from WFs, but retirees were denied and asked to pay premium. Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, premium had increased from Rs.5600/ to Rs.25000/ for Rs.3 lakh cover. As a result 75% retirees could not pay premium and opted To be out of Policy.
Hon'ble Minister has given totally false and misleading reply to questions. He has broken the privilege of house. We have written him a mail on 21.11.2019, which we attach to it for your kind reference.
We request you to please ask the Minister concerned to state the facts and circumstances, under which govt directive has been side tracked and retirees denied of group health cover from Welfare Funds. If serving employees and retired, both, are entitled to the benefits of Welfare Funds, why it is not given to retired is the issue.
Respectful Regards,
( J. N. Shukla)
National Convenor,
Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists
Prayagraj
22.11.2019
9559748834
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 dt. 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 it's own letter F. No.14/7/92-IR(vol-ii) dated 24.2.2012 through which the decisions in regard to 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 & 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 & 7 months. However, in 2015, IBA/Banks thought of Group Insurance Policy, much to meet the requirements of working employees and paid premium from Welfare Funds. The said Group Insurance Policy was extended to Retired employees, on self borne premium condition.
3. Issue is: when govt decision was to spend Welfare Funds on Group Insurance Policy for both, working & retired employees, how Banks could pay for working staff only and deny to retired? When the Group Insurance Policy was introduced, there was one premium for both, working staff & 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 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 afford premium. This resulted in 75% retirees uncovered of health insurance.
5. Another issue is: govt letter entitles Retirees to Welfare Funds benefits, but Banks are not spending single pie on retirees. Entire Welfare Funds go to top executives to bottom level functionaries right from morning news papers, 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 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? Working staff in case of death dependents get lakhs for funeral, while retirees death is celebrated by managment as it stops pension out go! 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 a evasive endeavor on the part of DFS to shield the guilts of others.
We understand, in 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 wrong answer, sir?
Please ensure that the WFs are genuinely spent on working & retirees staff. Please direct banks to pay 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 to: PMO
FMO
Sri Tejashvi Surya,
Hon'ble MP
Lok Sabha
- for information.
-----------------------------------------
The Secretary,
Department of Financial Services,
Ministry of Finance,
GOI, New Delhi
Dear Sir,
* Unstarred Question 159 of
Sri Tejashvi Surya, Hon.MP
* State Fin. Minister Reply dt. 18.11.2019
On the Floor of Lower House
We regret to draw your kind attention to the reply of above unstarred questions, prepared by your department and read by Hon'ble State Finance Minister, Shri Anurag Thakur on the floor of lower house on 18.11.2019. The question was raised by Hon'ble MP Sri Tejashvi Surya in regard to Group Health Insurance of Bank Retirees.
2. It's quite unbecoming and unfortunate to see how the department concerned side tracked to reveal truth related to the issue in question and made Hon'ble Minister to give a wrong reply, hurting the privilege of House. In doing so the DFS, ignored it's own letter F. No.14/7/92-IR(vol-ii) dated 24.2.2012 through which the decisions in regard to revision of Welfare Funds, as recommended by Khandelwal Committee, was conveyed.
3. It's your own department that advised IBA/ Banks, how to spend Welfare Funds. Paragraph 2 (ii) of the letter read as under:
(ii) Banks may consider the option of Group Insurance Policy for both serving & retired employees, instead of direct payment of the benefit from the fund.
Your letter under reference, remained uncomplied for over 3 years & 7 months by IBA/Banks. However, in 2015, IBA/Banks thought of Group Health Insurance Policy, worked out a Policy with UIIC. Banks paid premiums for working staff from Welfare Funds, as envisaged in your aforesaid letter, but denied the same for Retirees. Issue is this: how & why IBA or Banks denied for Retirees contrary to Govt decision? The said Group Insurance Policy was extended to Retired employees, on self borne premium condition.
4. Issue is: when govt decision was to spend Welfare Funds on Group Insurance Policy for both, working & retired employees, how Banks could pay for working staff only and deny to retired? When the Group Insurance Policy was introduced, there was one premium for both, working staff & 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 unprecedented manner in subsequent years and reached to Rs.25000/- in 2019-20.
5. There are about 1 lakh family pensioners, whose pension ranges between Rs. 7000 to 10000 per month. Well, you can understand their difficulty in taking policy cover and afford premium. This resulted in 75% retirees uncovered of health insurance.
6. Another issue is: your letter entitles Retirees to Welfare Funds benefits, but Banks are not spending single pie on retirees. Entire Welfare Funds go to top executives to bottom level functionaries right from morning news papers, tea, coffee, snacks, lunch, executive thalis, petrol, scholarships, holiday homes to last rituals. How disgraceful it looks, that ignoring the basic cannon as to whose need is greater, Welfare Funds are spent on those who are well paid and can afford self tea cost. How disgraceful is the scenario where top Executives are served subsidized Executive thalis or dependents given lakhs for their funerals. Other side, Retirees are left to die without medical support. How the deaths can be evaluated on different scales? Working staff, in case of death, dependents get lakhs for funeral, while retirees death is celebrated by managment as it stops pension out go! How cruel and inhuman it looks, Sir?
We don't know as to what view the Hon'ble Minister of State would take of your 'reply' , was that right or wrong or misleading that way hurting the privilege of Hon'ble M. P. or lower House, but it was totally an evasive endeavor on the part of DFS to shield it's failures to ensure compliance of govt decision in the matter. We don't know the authority vested in IBA so as to topple govt directives & decisions. We think, you are aware of IBA's legal status, as already stated by none else than IBA itself vide it's circular letter dated 30.9.2019. There is nothing official in it, but it enjoys the super cop position in PSBs matter and you patronise it for the reasons best known to you.
We don't think, you are unaware of retirees issues, be it Pension Revision, Family Pension, Exgratia, 100% DA, Group Health Insurance etc. as writs, petitions, memorandums, court cases flood in abundance day in -day out in PMO,MOF, DFS etc.
We don't think, you are unaware of over one lakh family Pensioners whose life has been made hell by your department by paying them just 15% Pension. Could you ever applied your mind as to how a Family Pensioner getting anywhere between Rs.7000 to 10000 per month as pension can pay self premium of Rs.25000, which is equal to 3 months pension. How would he live for 3 months, if he takes health insurance? We know, why should you worry at all, because it's not for you, but for retired Bank men, but of Public Sector Banks, which made tremendous contributions to grow nation and economy and brought about changes in lives of Indian masses.
We don't call for favour, but for rights that govt granted and you conveyed. Please ensure compliance, which is your work & duty , sir. Retirees are entitled to the benefits of Welfare Funds. Please just help them get it.
With Regards,
(J. N. Shukla)
National Convenor,
Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists,
Prayagraj
21.11.2019
9559748834
CC to: Hon'ble Prime Minister,
( privateoffice@govmu.org)
Hon'ble Finance Minister,
( appointment.fm@gov.in)
Hon'ble State Finance Minister -
(mphamirpur@gmail.com/hpcapresident@gmail.com)
Sir,
further to our mail dt 20/11/19 we request you to please look in facts and please advise DDS to ensure that Banks comply with directions as give in letter dated 24.2.2012, pay group insurance premium from Welfare Funds.
Sri Tejashvi Surya,
Hon'ble MP
Lok Sabha
( contact@tejasvisurya.in
- for information.
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