IS OUR PENSION, PENSION REVISION AND PENSION PARITY IN PERIL?
The parliament in the month of March 2025 passed the Finance Bill 2025 and, in its Part IV, included clause validating the CCS (Pension) Rules. The Govt. is modifying its legislation for incorporating recommendations of Central Pay Commission. But this time it is enacted giving authority laying down norms, principles and method in regard to acceptance of the recommendations of Central Pay Commission which deemed to have come into effect on the 1st day of June, 1972, giving a long rope to govt. to deal with past cases; empowering Govt. to classify and create distinction amongst its pensioners. Such distinction may the basis for classification for determining date of retirement and pension entitlement.
The Pensioners fraternity throughout the country reacted spontaneously by strong protest against the said bill as it was for them death knell for their future pension. In simple word, the said bill is empowering Govt. to create distinction amongst pensioners, one those who retired earlier and second to be retired in revised pay scales.
For the first time, element of parity was introduced in V CPS, followed by VI & VII CPC in revising pensioners from the date of implementation of the pay revision as per recommendations of all the pensioners. The similar yardstick was applied for Pension Revision of BSNL Pensioners who retired prior to 01.01.2007 and got parity following implementation of pay revision of BSNL Employees as per 2nd PRC with their pension revision w.e.f 01.01.2007 with same fitment benefit.
Realizing the large-scale anger and agitations, Print Media coverage and virtually boiling protest from all nook and corners of the country, the Govt. could remain silent spectators and reverted to pacify the pensioners fraternity by convening virtual meeting with all the pensioners association, clarifying that the validation act will not harm the present pensioners and their all rights will be protected. Shri C. Srinivas, Secretary, Secretary DOPPW had clarified in the virtual meeting of pensioners of the country the said thing but the demand of getting the assurance in minutes as not acceded to. Similar assurances have also come from Hon. Shri Jitendra Prasad, MOS & also Hon’ble Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitaraman. But let us be frank to say that no verbal assurance supersedes the t law which is enacted by the parliament.
The fear of the Pensioners became stronger, when the Govt. of India notified VIII CPC and its Terms of Reference; giving them strong reasons to proverb that “Coming events always cast their shadows before”; as the notification is silent regarding pension revision of past pensioners, a term which was always there in Terms of Reference in previous Pay Commissions.
The VIII CPC is to examine the principles which should govern pension, DCRG, Family Pension and other terminal benefit, calculating fiscal burden on the exchequer, including revision of pension in the case of employees who have retired prior to the date of effect of these recommendations.
In the present anti-pensioner scenario, we are deeply concern as the Govt. has equipped itself with power to classify the pensioners based on the date of Pension revision from the terms of reference of VIII CPC. As such it is natural for the pensioners to expect that VIII CPC may not recommend pension revision for the pensioners, citing the Govt. Authority to classify. Furthermore, the CPC is asked to make recommendation considering the Pension scheme as unfunded and contributory scheme.
Our worries are not unfounded because recently in a case of BSNL Pension Revision in juridical proceedings, the DoT has filed supplementary affidavit in a contempt petition in CAT Chandigarh Circuit Bench, Shimla by a group of BSNL Pensioners, claiming authority to classify pensioners and to maintain distinctions based on the date of retirement, making the Government’s intention clear.
The ironical fact is, DoP&PW has advised DoT to file appeal before the High Court against the Ld CAT order dated 23.01.2019 (along with order made in contempt cases) and defend the interest of Union of India. The case pertains to discrimination between pensioners retiring prior to 10.06.2013 and those retiring after that date.
The petitions filed by S-30 Pensioners Association and FORIPSO (Forum of Retired IPS Officers), against the Validation legislation in Supreme Court are yet to be heard and a group of Central Government Pensioner Associations have also filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the legislation; where the BSNL Pensioners Associations joined.
If pension revision is denied to Central Government pensioners, BSNL pensioners will have no grounds to claim it, even if and when BSNL employees pay scales are revised. The need of hour is to have parity in pension between past and future pensioners forming foundation of pension revision.
Now it is right time for all of us to join hands to gather and emphatically urge the Prime Minister for Administrative Activation, Budgetary Provisioning and Inclusion of Pensioners’ interests in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 8th CPC.
We should request the Govt. to make token provision in the Union Budget 2026-27 to meet with the initial expenditure arising from the interim recommendations, if any, of the 8th CPC, including Interim Relief to the working employees and the pensioners. Only such action by Govt. can instill little hope for positive thinking of Govt. for pensioners fraternity.
We have to urge the Govt. for commencement of early deliberations with the stake holders on Revision of Basic Pay, Pension, family Pension, rationalization of pension calculations. The Bharat Pensioner Samaj has rightly demanded repeatedly for “Parity Between Past & Present Pensioners (Principle of Last-In-First-Served). No pensioner should draw less than a junior who retires later from same position.”
DD Mistry, GS BDPA (INDIA)
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