PENSIONERS OWN MEDIA-‘PENSIONERS DIGEST’ monthly publication January 2020 issue
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THE KARNATAKA
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS’ ASSOCIATION (REGD.)
( Estd: 1974; Regn. S.No.143/1983-84
d/ 9th August 1983 )
“Swarna”,120/1,2ndMain,GDParkExtn,Vyalikaval,Bengaluru560003
(Affiliated to BPS New Delhi, AIFPA Chennai & KCCCGPAs Bengaluru)
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Email ID: cgpakarn@gmail.com Tel:
23468438/9591837011
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RNI Regn No: KRENG/2008/27233 Postal Regn No:
KRNA/BGE/200/1.1.2018-2020
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President: Girish Kanagotagi
Vice-President: Venugopalachar SV Secretary: Hegde, Dr, MR
Tel: 9980021280 Tel:
9448743355 Tel:
9845958113
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Editor: Ramanatha
Rao SS Treasurer: Murthy RSN Jt Secretary: Poddar BB
Tel: 9980204456 Tel: 9731663662
Tel: 9448488968
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Vol.XIIV : Issue 6
(Pps ) JANUARY 2020 Subscription: Rs 125
p.a.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PENSIONERS’
DIGEST
CONTENTS:
1.
Wish
Everyone Happy New Year, 2020.
2.
MHA
Notification on J&K.
3.
CGHS :
Empanelled hospitals threaten withdrawal owing to non-payment.
4.
Pensioners Assns observe ‘Pensioners Day’, Dec
17.
5.
BSNL
finds a silver lining.
6.
Karnataka
CGPA – New leadership takes over.
7.
An
Obituary
8 A Quote.
********************
Karnataka
CGPA wishes every member and every sister-organisation ‘A Very Happy &
Prosperous New Year’ in 2020
*****************
ಸರ್ವರಿಗೂ ನೂತನ 2020ನೇ ವರುಷದ ಹಾರ್ದಿಕ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು.
ಸುಖ ಸಂಪತ್ತು ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸದಾ ಇರಲಿ.
ಸುಖ ಸಂಪತ್ತು ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸದಾ ಇರಲಿ.
******************
An MHA Notification
All 7th Pay
Commission Allowances to UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of
Ladakh Govt Employees with effect from 31.10.2019.
The Finance Department of Jammu and Kashmir
already issued notification on 24th April 2018 regarding the Jammu &
Kashmir Civil Services (Revised) Pay Rules, 2018.
After implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations to
Central Government employees, many of State Government implement the same to
its employees. Recently declared the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and
Ladakh also added in the list.
About 4.5 lakh employees will get the
benefit of all allowances like Children Education Allowance (CEA), Transport
Allowance (TA), Leave Travel Concession (LTC), Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA)
and Hostel Allowance. The employees who are working under the State of Jammu
and Kashmir and will become the employees of J&K and Ladakh UT with effect
from 31.10.2019.
The annual financial implication for
implementation of 7th pay commission, Rs. 607 Crore for Children Education
Allowance, Rs. 1823 Crore for Hostel Allowance, Rs. 1200 Crore for Transport
Allowance, Rs. 1000 Crore for LTC, Rs. 108 Crore for Fixed Medical Allowance
and for other allowances Rs. 62 Crores.
(Source: 7thPayCommission News website)
Who cares for senior
citizens?
The Maintenance and
Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act is in position having been enacted
by the Parliament in 2007. Now, an Amendment Bill to the Act has been
introduced in Lok Sabha on Dec 11, 2019. (‘Deccan Herald’ d/ Dec 12, p.1) This
Amendment has provision for the elderly person to claim maintenance, and for
the mandatory registration of senior citizens’ care homes. The Amendment
defines ‘abuse’ as physical, verbal, emotional, abandonment, causing insult, injury
and economic abuse, or even mental suffering.
Responding to the Amendment, an
impression is among the public that the Amendment is a little ill-conceived. Not
many kith and kin abuse the elderly citizens. No serious complaint against
senior citizens’ welfare homes has been heard. Infact, two of our Assn members
are in such homes, though their children are in affluent position; and these
elders are happy. No senior citizen would go to court against his children,
unless there is physical assault. Epics have many diktats in favour of these
children as well as the senior citizens.The Amendment could be deferred.
C G
H S
Empanelled
hospitals threaten withdrawal: Following
news clipping appeared on the subject in ‘The Economic Times’ d/ Dec 19, 2019.
It has appeared in certain other newspapers too. We have forwarded (Dec 23) the
clipping to the Hon’ble MOS (PP) as well as Secretary DoP&PW, for needful
immediate action. The forwarded mail is reproduced below :
Kindly see the
following News item from 'Economic Times', Dec 19, 2019.
""""
Non-payment of CGHS, ECHS dues may
force pvt hospitals to suspend cashless services: IMA
The healthcare industry is passing
through a crisis and crores of rupees to be paid to private hospitals under the
Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health
Scheme (ECHS) is pending for the past several months, the IMA claimed at a
media briefing.
PTI | December
19, 2019,
New
Delhi: Private
hospitals may be forced to suspend cashless
services under CGHS and ECHS as their
reimbursements under these government schemes, running into crores, are pending
for several months, the Indian Medical
Association (IMA) said on Thursday.
The healthcare
industry is passing through a crisis and crores of
rupees to be paid to private hospitals under the Central Government Health
Scheme (CGHS) and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) is pending
for the past several months, the IMA claimed at a media briefing.
"Non-payment of legitimate dues by the government is taking a toll on the day-to-day functioning of the hospitals and is unable to pay salaries to the employees. Many hospitals have begun to cut down on operations by closing certain wards and beds, and are forced to lay off employees.
"If the situation is allowed to persist, it is feared that lakhs of hospital employees may lose jobs. Despite repeated attempts made by hospitals and associations, the situation has improved," IMA Secretary General Dr R V Asokan said.
The IMA claimed that financial crunch coupled with reduced number of staff are going to adversely affect patient safety, which in turn would lead to increased morbidity and mortality, without getting noticed. """""""""
Appeal:
These posers from
the Empanelled hospitals have been almost an annual feature, for the last about
10 years. The Health Ministry improves its position and assuages the empanelled
hospitals on the vexed tariff issue. Known it is, Health care is universal and
any Govt/Employer should not shirk its responsibility in maintaining/continuing
with Health care of its citizens. As stakeholders in regard to the care of the
employees and the pensioners under the CGHS, we appeal to the Govt to carve out
a compromise mechanism wherein the empanelled hospitals are in compassionate
atmosphere in continuing the health-services to the citizens, who can ill
afford to go to the speciality private hospitals charging prohibitive tariff
and making the patients undergo avoidable tests. We would like to project to
the Govt that these hospitals are under the administrative and financial care
of the Govt through various agencies in getting their staff and medical
requirements. They should hence be brought round to maintain the Health care of
the Govt staff/pensioners coming to them through the CGHS - if necessary
through a required legislation. Even the Supreme Court has stated more than
once that the CGHS-beneficiaries may also go to the private/un-empanelled
hospitals for immediate treatment, and the CGHS must find a way to pay up the
expenses. Such is the gravity of Health care. Health is wealth.
I
n r ep l y, I have received the following mail. I
reproduce:
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Thu, Dec 26, 10:06 AM (1 day ago)
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Please contact the
concerned nodal officer of the concerned Ministry/Department/Organisation as
per the details given in ‘nodal officers’ options in pgportal.gov.in.
On 12/24/19 11:05 AM, "Dr. C. Chandramouli" <secy-arpg@nic.in> wrote.
(2) Two
empanelled hospitals: Following
Two hospitals have been empanelled recently by the CGHS:
(i)
Pan
Nagarabhavi Hospitals Ltd : No.611/612,
Nagarabhaviu Main Road, Bengaluru 560072. Tel +91 8023011600
(ii)
Dr Solank Eye Hospital Pvt Ltd : No.191/1, II cross link road, Malleswaram,
Bengaluru 560003. Tel : 080-2355562211, 23562299.
News on BSNL/MTNL
In
a bid to revamp state-owned telecom firms, the Union Cabinet Wednesday approved
the merger of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MNTL) with Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Limited (BSNL). “MTNL, BSNL are neither being closed nor divested,” Union
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in New Delhi. The Cabinet also approved a
revival package of Rs 29,937 crore for the two loss-making telecoms. The
revival package includes raising of Rs 15,000 crore sovereign bonds and
monetising Rs 38,000 crore of assets in next four years. To cut down on costs,
Ravi Shankar Prasad said, an attractive voluntary retirement scheme would be
offered for employees. Until the merger is complete, MTNL will act as a
subsidiary of BSNL, Prasad added.
Today’ Cabinet
announcement comes at a time when MTNL and BSNL have been posting successive
loses in recent financial years amid stiff competition from private
players.
(‘Indian Express’, Dec 30, 2019)
Union Minister on BSNL: Due to the bad financial condition of Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the Central Government could not acceptthe demand
for a pay revision. Therefore, the issue of pension revision has not been
agreed to as on date.
In Parliament on 12.12.2019, Minister Shri
Ravi Shankar Prasad replied in a written form to a question about the salary revision of BSNL employees as
follows…
Pension revision of retired Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Limited (BSNL) employees gets linked to the pay-revision of the serving
employees inasmuch as pension is calculated on the basic pay which the retired
employee was earning at the time of retirement. Pension may be revised if the
said basic pay is revised on account of pay revision of serving employees.
Since, Department of Telecommunications is
the Administrative Department for BSNL, any pension revision proposal is to be
piloted by the Department of Telecommunications for approval of the competent
authority.
Due to poor financial condition of BSNL, it
has not been possible for the Government to agree to the demand of pay
revision. Hence, the issue of pension revision has also not been agreed to as
on date.
(Source:
7Pay CommissionNews website)
On
VRS : Reportedly, half the
number of about 1,50,000 employees have opted for VRS, an d some have withdrawn
since. Salary for November 2019 has been paid to the staff – which is around Rs
500 crores.
DA Increase in Jan 2020
AICPIN (CPI
for Industrial Workers - Base Year
2001=100) for the months of July, August, September and October released (319,
320, 322 and 325 respectively) by Labour Bureau. If the trend continues in
another two months, the DA/DR from Jan 2020 for CG employees and pensioners may be
increased to 21%.
(Source: 7Pay CommissionNews website)
Karnataka CGPA
A family pensioner helped: A pensioner
at Bhubaneswar (Odisha) from the Ministry of Mines and Metals died. His
daughter was married and employed. Her younger brother was mentally retarded
and unemployed. Between them they ‘quarrelled’ for father’s family pension.
Somehow, through the web, the brother or pensioner’s son, contacted me. I adjudged
myself and wrote to the Ministry as well as the Dept at Bhubaneswar, for
pension to the mentally retarded son. He was not being allowed inside the
office at Bhubaneswar. That spoke of his mental condition. I told the Dept that
was his mental status, and we should not reckon it. He had earlier
‘blamed’ the Dept and our Assn for not helping. We have not
known or seen each other. About two months back, he sent me a photo of himself
wriggling on the floor and requested for his pension. When I sent
the photo to the Dept and asked them to consider it as an SOS, the Dept was
grateful to sanction the pension within 72 hours. Consultant Shri Yuggar
Kishore Gosain liaised very well. This surviving family pensioner rang me on Dec
9 2019 to thank for the help. He spoke in a merciful, stammering and broken
voice.
Pensioners’ Day: Pensioners’ Day was
celebrated at the KCGPA Office premises on 17 December. All the Officer Bearers and about 15 members
participated. After welcome by the
Secretary, Shri Girish Kanagotagi, President, gave brief account of
significance of Pensioners Day.
Treasurer Shri RSN Murthy and members who interacted, gave their
salutations to late DS Nakara, because
of whose legal battle the pensioners got the needed justice. Secretary Dr MR Hegde solicited the members’
united help to continue the saga for the pensioners welfare and reminded their
social obligations. Joint Secretary Shri
Poddar highlighted the contributions of founder members and the history of
KCGPA. Dr. MR Hegde, Secretary, also
spoke on ‘City waste management problems, challenges and possibilities’. Shri Chit Prakash proposed vote of thanks,
followed by high tea.
We
like to highlight the points made by
Dr Hegde, a Doctorate in Agronomy, in his Talk on ‘Holistic Waste
Management’. Generation of waste is
inevitable in every habitation, however big or small. In India,
there is fast growth in urbanization.
Nearly 45 percent people live in
urban and peri-urban areas, with the total population of India being 137
crores. Annually about 70 million
tonnes of waste is generated. In Bengaluru City alone every day, about 4000
tonnes of waste is accumulated. Waste generated has transversal effects
creating many problems. They are
environmental, air, soil and water
pollution. The green house gases
generated by waste raises the atmospheric temperature resulting in global warming. Waste in dumping yard is habitated by rodents, pigs and vultures. It becomes main source for growth of harmful
micro-organisms resulting in health problems.
Waste in cities are also a cause for drainage blockage. Plastic degradation releases diethyl hydroxyl
amino gas, which is highly carcinogenic waste in a required manner. There is shortage of dumping yards or
landfills for disposing waste. There is
difficulty in segregation, proper collection, proper supervision and timely
transportation. Fund crunch, poor
infrastructure, non availability of viable technology of waste utilization add to the problem.
Integrated and efficient waste
management models are available either from other Countries or from Indore and
Kanpur Corporations. There is need for
efficient land fill management with compacting of waste, odour and parasitic
animal and birds management. Segregation
needs to be done at individual house levels and collection done daily.
Composting, Bio-methonation and Electricity generation are value added options
for waste. One tonne of waste can
generate about 300 Kg of compost, 500 KWh of electricity and 20 cubic meters of
Bio-gas. In Bengaluru, there is
Karnataka Compost Development Corporation, which needs to be strengthened and
similar units must be established in several places. Plastic can be made to
decompose in environmentally friendly
way by using idonella bacteria and wax-worms. We should create civic sense among the
dwellers to avoid littering of waste and
carry out segregation. Every civilian must adopt four practices of
refuse, reduce, re-use and re-cycle. The
repugnant attitude towards waste and garbage to go “out of sight”, should be
overcome. All should join hands in a Movement
towards economically viable and socially acceptable waste management. This can only help in maintaining our nature
“green and clean”, and save “nature for future”.
( PS : The pictures below are from the meeting ‘held
in the Assn office’, Dec 17)
Traditionally,
more Associations observed the Day. The Co-ordination Committee of CGPA(K), the
Karnataka IA&ADPA and the Karnataka ITPA also held meetings on different dates.
Payments received: Following
payments have been received during
December 2019. We thank them all, including the three
members who have donated Rs.1000 each.
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Name (Smt/Shri)
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M.
No.
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Receipt No.
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D0na-
tion
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Others
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M Fee
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PD Subs. Rs. Year
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Remarks
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Andrews MA
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1367
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2362
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500
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500
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19-23
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New Member
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Chenniappan PL
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1365
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2360
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500
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125
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19-20
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New Member
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Leela Sahij Ram
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1363
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2358
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500
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500
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19-23
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New Member
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Mahendrakar Sreenivasa Rao
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1368
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2363
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500
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500
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19-23
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New Member
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Murthy PNR
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1087
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2370
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500
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500
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22-26
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Murugan CS
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727
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2369
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1000
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Neelamani Bose
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710
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2368
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250
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19-21
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Pious Thomas Dr.
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1362
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2356
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500
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500
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19-23
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New Member
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Raja Rao YS
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1204
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2365
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1000
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|
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500
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19-23
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Rajashekar AC
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1341
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2364
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500
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19-23
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Ravi Prasad BS
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1366
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2361
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500
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500
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19-23
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New Member
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Soni MS
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1364
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2367
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50
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500
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250
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19-21
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New Member
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Subbarayan Bhat
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1092
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2359
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500
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19-23
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Vaidyanath Prabhakar
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492
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2357
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1000
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Veeraraghavulu A
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1148
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2366
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500
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500
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20-24
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New members enrolled : Following
SEVEN new members have been enrolled
during December 2019. We welcome them and wish them well.
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Sl
.No.
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Name
(Smt/Shri)
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Age/DOB
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Department
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Email/Telephone
Mobile
No.
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M.No.
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01
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Pious Thomas Dr.
No.313,1st
Main,
Talacauvery Layout,
Armruthahalli,
BENGALURU 560 092
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59
01.12.1960
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ICAR, IIHR,
DARE
Min of Agri
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94805 14820
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1362
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02
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Leela Sahijram, Dr.
No.42/1, Deepak
Appts
(Ground Floor), 4th
Main,
Anand Nagar,
Hebbal,
BENGALURU 560 024
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63
12.04.1956
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ICAR, IIHR
Min of Agri
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080
2343 1821
93428
90380
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1363
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03
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SONI MS,
No.J371, Raghunath
Vihar,
Sector 14, Opp.
Daily Bazzar, Kharghar,
NAVI MUMBAI 410 210
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72
06.12.1947
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MHA/IB
|
91
97687 68396
|
1364
|
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04
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CHENNIAPPAN PL,
No.309, CQAL
Layout,
Sahakara Nagar,
BENGALURU 560 092
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76
15.07.1943
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CQAR, DGQA,
Min of Def
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080
2363 6805
94497
65410
|
1365
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05
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RAVIPRASAD BS,
No.307, “AKSHYA”,
16th
Cross, 4th Main,
CQAL Layout,
Sahakara Nagar,
BENGALURU 560 092
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67
06.10.1952
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Min of Labour &
Employment
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97399
89149
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1366
|
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06
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ANDREWS MA,
No.187, CQAL
Layout,
Sahakara Nagar,
BENGALURU 560 092
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73
12.09.1946
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CQAL,
Min of Def
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7760375637
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1367
|
|
07
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MAHENDRAKAR
SREENIVASS RAO,
No.623, First
Floor,
19th
Main, 20th Cross,
A-Block, Sahakara
Nagar,
BENGALURU 560 092
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59
02.10.1960
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ICAR,IIHR,
Min of Agri
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9480607571
94826003614
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1368
|
Donations: We made the following Appeal last
month. We repeat it this month too. Please bear with us, and help generously.
“ Donations: We have not approached you for
sometime for ‘liberal’
donations. We would like to state this. The cost
towards the production of issues
of PD has increased. Recently, the EC (Nov 25) has
taken a forced decision to
pay ‘almost double the rent’ to the Assn office, at
the insistence of the owner. We
had to accept this situation, as we are unable to find
an alternate premises at a
lesser rent. We sent a cheque for Rs 50,000 to the
Chief Minister’s Flood Relief
Fund; and not many contributed on this account. Please
be sympathetic enough
to donate more liberally, ‘month by month’, so that
the Assn runs on strong rails.”
How much safe is your money in Bank ‘Fixed Deposits’?
No,
not that much safe as we assume. Here is the new position. The Govt has the
tendency to ‘bail out’ public sector bank, whenever there is a ‘run’ on a bank.
The Govt infuses its money, and normalizes the bank. Now, according to a recent proposal with the Govt, it has brought
out a Money Bill, which has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee
(JPC). This Bill proposes that whenever there is a ‘run’ on a public sector bank, that bank is being given
the provision to ‘bail in’ (as against ‘bail out’ by the Govt) and get 10 or
20% of the money from the Fixed Deposits holders, and put the remaining money
in Equity. It is not clear whether this Equity amount would get interest or
not, and how the depositor can withdraw his money. We all know well how dear
are these Fixed Deposits. Please watch for this development carefully, and
protest. (This information was given out by a working/retired person from the
Banking sector. I have no corroboration, at present.)
An Obituary
|
Shri B D Bhandari, 85 years, a VRS
retiree from the Intelligence Bureau, remained sick for long at Koteswar,
Mangalore. He shifted to Bengaluru a year ago, and remained with his wife at
his daughter’s place. He breathed his last on Dec 2, 2019. According to his
Wish, his body was donated to the MS Ramaiah hospital, Bengaluru. Authorities
have been requested to pay ‘family pension’ to the surviving spouse. We pray
peace to his soul and strength to all the bereaved.
|
A Quote
In the end, it's not
the years in your life that count.
It's the life in
your years.
THE KARNATAKA
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS’
ASSOCIATION®
(Estd : 1974) (Regd
: 1983)
RNI Regn. No.KARENG/2008/27233 Postal
Regn.No.KARN/BGE/200/2018-2020
Licensed to post without pre-payment :
License No.PMG-BG/WPP-352/2018-20
(Letter No. KRNA/BGE/200/2018-20 d/ 18 Dec 2017 of DoP, Sr Supdt of
POs, B’luru East Dn, B’lore 560025)
PENSIONERS’ DIGEST
JANUARY 2020
“Swarna”, 120/1, 2nd
Main, Gayatri Devi Park Extension, Vyalikaval, Bengaluru 560 003
PENSIONERS’
DIGEST
JANUARY 2020
(Subscription: Rs 125/- per
financial year)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RNI Regn. No.KARENG/2008/27233 Postal Regn.No.KRNA/BGE/200/2018-202
Licensed to post without pre-payment License
No. PMG-BG/WPP-352/2018-20
(Letter No.KRNA/BGE/200/2018-20 d/ 18 Dec 2017 of DoP, Sr Supdt of
POs, B’luru East Dn, B’luru 560025)
Posted at Bangalore Sorting Divn, RMS Bhavan,
Bengaluru 26, in bulk, on 11th of each month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S/Shri/Smt:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If undelivered, please
return to:
The Karnataka CGPA, “Swarna”, 120/1, 2nd Main, Gayatri Devi
Park Extension, Vyalikaval,
Bengaluru 560 003
Written & Edited by Shri S S Ramanatha Rao, and Published by Shri S
Gurudas, for and on behalf of The Karnataka Central Government Pensioners’
Association, “Swarna”, No.120/1, 2nd Main, Gayatri Devi Park
Extension, Vyalikaval,, Bengaluru 560003; and Printed by Shri V
Sathianarayanan, at M/s GH Enterprises, No. 128, Dharmaraja Koil Street,
Bengaluru 560001.
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