Minutes of the sixth meeting of the Committee set up to examine feasibility of implementation of recommendation of the 7th CPC for revision of pension of pre 2016 pensioners held on 06.10.2016

Minutes of the sixth meeting of the Committee set up to examine feasibility of implementation of recommendation of the 7th CPC for revision of pension of pre 2016 pensioners held on 06.10.2016

No.38/37/2016-P&PW(A)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions

Department of Pension & Pensioner’s Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan

New Delhi, dated the 10th October 2016

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

The 6th Meeting of the committee for examination of feasibility of implementation of recommendations of Seventh Central Pay Commission for revision of pension of pre-2016 pensioners was held under the Chairmanship of Shri C, Viswanath, Secretary (Pension) on 6.10.2016 at Sardar Patel Bhawan, New Delhi This meeting was called for seeking the views of the Staff side of JCM on the feasibility of implementation of the first option for revision of pension of pre 2016 pensioners recommended by the Seventh Central Pay Commission.

2. The following were present from official side:

1. Sh. Ashok Kumar Dash, Member (Personnel), Department of Posts.

2. Ms. Santosh, Joint Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare,

3. Sh. Rozy Agarwal, Joint CGDA, Ministry of Defence,

4. Sh. R. K. Chaturvedi, Joint Secretary, Implementation Cell, Department of Expenditure,

5. Sh. Sanjay Singh, Chief Controller (Pension), CPAO (representing Controller General of Accounts).

6. Sh. Tanveer Ahmed, Executive Director, Railway Board (representing Member (Staff)).

3. The following were present from JCM ( staff side):

1. Shri Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary, JCM.

2. Shri Guman Singh, Member

3. Shri J. R. Bhosale, Member

4. Shri K.K. N, Kutty, Member

5. Shri C. Srikurnar. Member

6. Shri R. D. Gupta, Member

4. Welcoming Members of the Committee and the representatives of JCM (Staff Side), Secretary (Pension) requested Additional Secretary (Pension) to make a presentation.

5. In her presentation, Addl Secretary (Pension) brought out the position regarding the requirement of records and the factors which may affect the feasibility of arriving at the notional pay in Seventh CPC by counting increments in the last scale of pay as recommended by the Pay . Commission. She also mentioned about the anomalies that are likely to arise in the process. The presentation brought out the methodology adopted by the Committee to examine the feasibility of the first option and the finding of the Committee in this regard. She mentioned that the service records for increment method may not be available in around 18.3% of the cases. The difficulties in extracting the information from the records and determining the exact number of the increments for revision of pension under first option were explained. She indicated that the Committee has found that the alternative method of arriving at notional pay in Seventh CPC by applying formula for pay revision for serving employees in each Pay Commission and giving 50% of this as pension to be beneficial to all pensioners in comparison to the fitment method.

6. Thereafter, Secretary (Pension) requested the Members of the JCM (Staff Side) for their views on the feasibility of the first option.

7. The representative of the JCM (Staff side) mentioned that in their representation to the Seventh Commission, they had suggested revision of pension of pre-2006 pensioners by notional Pay Fixation in each successive pay Commission period. However, the Pay Commission recommended the revision of pension by fixing the notional pay on the basis of increments earned in the last post.

8. The JCM (Staff side) mentioned that the Cabinet has approved revision of pension by the first option (increment method), if its implementation is found feasible after examination by the Committee. They mentioned that in addition to the Service Book/ Personal File, the details of increments earned can be ascertained from the Gradation/Seniority List issued by the Departments from time to time. Therefore, one cannot say that the first option recommended by the Pay Commission is not feasible on the grounds of non-availability of records. In regard to the perceived anomalies, the Staff side stated that anomalies arose in implementation of the recommendations of all previous Pay Commissions. Such anomalies can always be rectified through the mechanism of Anomaly Committee.

9, On the alternate method of revision of pension by notional pay . fixation in each Pay Commission, the Staff side felt that the pensioners who are likely to get higher benefit by increments method may not accept revision ‘of pension by pay fixation method. This may, therefore, lead to litigation.

10. After detailed discussion, the staff side sought time to consider the alternate method of fixation of notional pay in each intervening Pay Commission for revision of pension as on 1.1.2016 before submitting their final views in this regard. It was, accordingly, decided to have another meeting with the JCM (Staff side) on 17.10.2016 at 10.00 A.M.

11. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair.

Source : AIRF