Statistical Sub-Committee stage Mass Demonstration in front of the Directorate of Economics & Statistics

The Statistical Sub-Committee of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association has staged a Mass Demonstration in front of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics at Port Blair today (10.09.2013) afternoon, demanding some of the pending and genuine demands of the employees belonging to the Amalgamated Statistical Cadre.   Inaugurating the Mass Demonstration, Shri HL Prasad, Vice President of the Association called upon the employees of Statistical Department to continue to protest against the injustice meted out to them by the department.  Speaking on the occasion, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Association explained in detail the issues on which the employees are staging the Mass Demonstration and the indiscriminate and anti-employee attitude adopted by the Administration towards these genuine demands of the Statistical Cadre employees.    The  demands  highlighted during the  mass demonstration were (1) to implement the court order on the merger of 19 posts of Senior Investigators with  the posts of Statistical Officers  (2)  immediate restructuring of the Amalgamated Statistical Cadre to  remove stagnation among the  staff  (3)  upgraded pay for the  post of Junior Investigators and (4) filling up of vacant posts. 

          Shri TS Sreekumar, Assistant General Secretary, Shri DS Clement Stephen, Organising Secretary, Shri Anand Raj, Secretary, Secretariat Sub-Committee and Shri SL Vinjit, Joint Secretary of the South Andaman Teachers’ Branch of the Association and Shri A. Selvam and Shri Mohammed Ayub  also  addressed the  gathering.   Shri CH Ramamoorthy, Secretary, Statistical Sub-Committee of the Association proposed vote of thanks.    Almost all the employees belonging to the Statistical Cadre posted at Port Blair and South Andaman areas, among them a  large number of  women employees,  participated in the Mass Demonstration.  

 

3-day Evening Mass Dharna at Tiranga Park

The 3-day Evening Mass Dharna  by the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands which began at Tiranga Park, Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair  on 05.09.2013 has come to an end today (7.9.2013) with a public meeting at the same venue.  The 3-day Mass Evening Dharna was organised as part of the nation-wide agitation launched by the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, New Delhi, in pursuance of its 15-point Charter of Demands.

Addressing the  gathering today (7.9.2013) at Tiranga Park,  Shri KG Das, former  General Secretary of the Association said that  the government has taken the help of  major opposition party in the Parliament to pass the PFRDA Bill.  It was astonishing that even those MPs who were found speaking in favour of retaining the old benefit pension scheme, have voted in favour of the  anti-employee PFRDA Bill and New Pension Scheme in the Parliament.   Shri KG Das said that  the number of billionaires in the country have increased several times during the last few years while   the condition of  poor people have become more and more miserable.  Referring to the recently enacted Food Security Act, Shri KG Das said that it will destroy the public distribution system in the country  as the  new legislation cannot guarantee foodgrains to all the people on reasonable rates.    He further said that UPA government’s flagship programme are not being implemented properly, but wider publicity is  given through government media about its successful implementation.   

Speaking on the occasion, Shri B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU A & N State Committee said that in the name of Liberalisation policies, nation’s wealth is being plundered by ruling politicians and corporate houses in the country. He said that the government has failed to solve the problems of the people like poverty and unemployment.

Addressing the  gathering Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary, Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association  explained in detail the  15 point  demands  and  called upon the government employees and workers to  continue to be part of the   ongoing nation-wide struggle.  

Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary and Shri Anand Raj, Secretary, Secretariat Sub-Committee also addressed the gathering. Shri Sadanand Rai, who presided over the programme, proposed vote of thanks. 

Mass Demonstration was held at Diglipur and Rangat also in which a large number of government employees and workers participated.  

Mass Demonstration against PFRDA Bill

The Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has staged a Mass Demonstration in front of the Secretariat at Port Blair at 4 p.m. today (2^nd September, 2013) to protest against the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill and New Pension Scheme.  The PFRDA Bill 2011 which was to come up for discussion and passage in the Lok Sabha today has been listed in the Agenda for 3^rd September, 2013 following the adjournment of the Lok Sabha today. The Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, New Delhi has called upon central government employees in the country to register their protest by organising various programmes against the PFRDA Bill and New Pension Scheme. 

Addressing the participants in the Mass Demonstration, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association said that the central government through the New Pension Scheme is trying to dismantle the existing defined benefit pension scheme which has been in vogue for a century in the country. He said that the PFRDA Bill empowers the government to extend the ambit to even all the existing pension schemes.  He said that if the Bill is passed, even those recruited prior to 1.1.2004 can also be brought under the New Pension Scheme.  He called upon the government employees in the islands to extend their support to the agitation being conducted by the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers and the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association in order to protect their pension.    Shri Sadanand Rai, President of the Association while addressing the gathering said that assured pension, as in the case of Members of Parliament, should be retained for all the central government employees.  Shri HL Presad, Vice President, Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary, Shri SL Vinjit, Joint Secretary, South Andaman Teachers’ Branch of the Association also addressed the gathering.  Shri Anand Raj, Secretary, Secretariat Sub-Committee proposed vote of thanks. 

Government employees numbering about 300 from various departments and Secretariat, among them a large number of women employees, attended the Mass Demonstration.

PFRDA BILL LIKELY TO BE TAKEN UP IN PARLIAMENT ON 2nd SEPTEMBER 2013. ORGANISE TWO HOUR WALK OUT AND NATIONWIDE PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS

It is reported that PFRDA Bill will be take up in Parliament for discussion and adoption on 2^nd September. Confederation National Secretariat once again calls upon all Central Government Employees to organize 2 hour walkout and nationwide protest demonstration on the day if bill is taken up or on the next day if information received late.

 
(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers 

New Delhi

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS LAUNCHES RTI ONLINE WEB PORTAL

Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office Shri V Narayanasamy has said that rtionline web portal is another milestone in the regime of RTI that will further promote participation of our citizens in the process of governance and policy making decisions of the Government.Speaking at the launch of the portal in New Delhi today he said though presently this facility has been provided to Central Ministries, DoPT will consider extending this facility to the subordinate and attached offices of Central Government also. The Minister also appealed to the State Governments to consider developing similar facility of filing online RTI applications. Referring to the RTI Act as one of the biggest achievements of our democracy, Shri Narayansamy said that it has empowered the citizenry in an unprecedented manner to participate in nation building by promoting transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.

            The rti online web portal has been developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) at the initiative of Department of Personnel and Training. The url of this portal is www.rtionline.gov.in

            This is a facility for the Indian Citizens to file RTI applications online and first appeals and also to make online payment of RTI fees. The prescribed fees can be paid through Internet banking of State Bank of India and its associate banks as well as by Credit/Debit cards of Visa/Master, through the payment gateway of SBI linked to this site. This facility is available for all the Ministries/Departments of Govt. of India.

            This system provides for online reply of RTI applications/ first appeals, though reply could be sent by regular post also. This system works as RTI MIS also. The details of RTI applications received through post could also be entered into this system. The citizens can also check the real time status of their RTI applications/first appeals filed online.

NGOs' Association to protest against PFRDA Bill

A meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association held today (10.08.2013) at Port Blair has noted that the central government is going ahead with its agenda on pension privatisation. The meeting noted that the controversial Pension Fund Regularoty and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill is listed as an agenda item for the current Parliament Session.  The Bill may be taken up for discussion in Parliament on any day. The Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, to which the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association is affiliated,   has opposed the Contributory Pension Scheme (New Pension Scheme) from the very beginning. 

At the call of the Confederation, the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association will organise protest demonstration throughout these islands on the day when the   PFRDA Bill is taken up for discussion in Parliament or on the next day if information is received late.   At Port Blair, the programme will be held in front of the Secretariat.

The meeting of the Association noted that if the PFRDA Bill is passed, the   employees recruited before 1^st January, 2004 can also be  brought under the  PFRDA  which will adversely  affect their chance of getting the existing  defined beneficial pension.  The Association call upon all the government employees and workers  to  participate in the  above programme in a massive way.     

Sadanand Rai, President presided over the meeting while D. Ayyappan, General Secretary Spoke. 

PEACEFUL DEMO IS NOT MISCONDUCT: COURT

MADRAS HIGH COURT QUASHES THE CHARGE MEMO ISSUED TO TWO STATE BANK OF INDIA (SBI) OFFICERS

While quashing the charge memo issued to two State Bank of India (SBI) officers alleging misconduct for holding a lunch hour demonstration in August last year, the Madras High Court has held that a mere peaceful demonstration, per se, inside the campus, cannot be understood as a mark of misconduct under the rules.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Chitra Venkataraman and K.B.K.Vasuki passed the common judgment on appeals filed by two officers of the bank against a single Judge’s order of February 8 this year.         

The two, D.Thomas Franco Rajendra Dev, Deputy Manager, SBI, RBU, LHO, Chennai and D.Suresh Kumar, Chief Manager, RBU, LHO, Chennai, were the general secretary and elected president of the All India State Bank of India Officers’ Association respectively. The association held a lunch hour demonstration on August 28 last year in front of the local head office and in all the administrative offices of the bank. Members, including the two officers, participated.

In September last year, the two were issued charge memo for alleged misconduct under the bank’s officers’ service rules.

They filed writ petitions contending that registered trade unions had a right to demonstrate peacefully. The right flowed from Art.19 (1) (c) of the Constitution. They denied that they instigated the officers of the bank to hold the demonstration. There was no misconduct.

A single Judge rejected the writ petitions, holding that the court could not interfere at the stage of charge memo on the basis of the defence pleaded by the petitioners. Aggrieved, the two filed the present appeals.

Source: The Hindu, 05.08.2013