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