AIBSNLPWA

Sundarakrishnan S, DS, STR DN CNI:

Comrades Today GS SMPWA and Com Anupam Kaul, AGS/ AIBSNL PWA met CMD, Dir(Hr) and Dir ( Finance)/ BSNL and discussed following issues.

Meeting with CMD The meeting was extremely fruitful and positive. 

1. On the issue of opening one time window for direct payment by BSNL to CGHS for migration from BSNL MRS to CGHS, CMD, in our presence, issued instructions to Dir( HR) to open one time window immediately for payment of one time CGHS contribution directly by BSNL to CGHS to facilitate migration to CGHS and keep it open till 31st March, 22. This indeed is a very positive development and now our appeal to our Comrades is to immediately migrate to CGHS in view of complete inability of BSNL to pay medical allowances to Pensioners in coming days.

2. On the important issue of relaxation of VRS conditions to enable spouses of VRS optees payment of both gratuity and pension commutation in the event of unfortunate death of a VRS optee, CMD categorically and wholeheartedly assured that he will take up this issue personally with Secy/ DOT and even plead with him to get VRS conditions relaxed in such cases in case need to going to Union Cabinet for this is needed. CMD is fully convinced on this stand of ours and will surely resolve it. In fact, he has already got some positive indications from DOT on this issue after we briefed him last time on this issue.

3. Regarding notices being received from income tax authorities for levying of tax on leave encashment, CMD assured that BSNL will continue to pursue this issue with concerned authorities of income tax  informally even though he is not personally convinced on this account since the payment of leave encashment is made by BSNL, as an employer, not DOT, and tax has to be levied as per the provisions of tax applicable to CPSEs. Nonetheless,  he assured that BSNL will continue to pursue the issue with concerned tax authorities.

4. Regarding withholding of terminal benefits to ST Comrades of MH On this issue after a very detailed and prolonged discussion,  CMD asked us to wait for just one month since he is personally in close touch with Secy/ DOT on this issue to sort it out at the earliest.

5. Regarding payment of pending medical bills with and without voucher, CMD assured that he will surely try to give some relief in the month of March/ April 22.

The meeting, all in all, was extremely positive, lasting for more than half an hour.