Brief on the Meeting held with Secretary (Pension) DOP&PW on 29/03/2025

Shiva Gopal Mishra

Secretary

Ph.: 23382286

National Council (Staff Side)

Joint Consultative Machinery for Central Government Employees

13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi - 110001

E-Mail: nc.jcm.np@gmail.com

No.NC-JCM-2025/Pension

To

March 29, 2025

All the Staff Side Members of National Council JCM

Sub: Brief on the Meeting held with Secretary (Pension) DOP&PW on 29/03/2025 through Video Conference on the provisions on Pension Disparity passed in the Finance Bill by the Parliament - Reg.,

Dear Comrades,

The Government of India while moving the Finance Bill for the approval of Parliament has included a chapter for "Validation of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules and Principles for expenditure on pension liabilities from the Consolidated Fund of India". Through this the Government has got authority to establish distinctions among pensioners which may emanate from the accepted recommendations of the Central Pay Commissions, and in particular a distinction may be made on the basis of the date of retirement of a pensioner or the date of operationalization of an accepted recommendation of a Central Pay commission.

After the passage of the Finance Bill in the Parliament, there was opposition inside the parliament and outside by the Staff Side of the NC JCM and also by the various Pensioners Associations, since it takes away the parity in pension recommended by the 7th CPC and implemented by the Government of India. Moreover since the 8th CPC has also been announced Pensioners all over the country were concerned about their pension revision and also for maintaining the parity between the pensioners who retired prior to 01/01/2026 and those who will be retiring after 01/01/2026 (expected date of recommendations of 8th CPC). In this situation Secretary (Pension), DOP&PW convened a meeting with the Staff Side Members of the Standing Committee of National Council JCM and also with few pensioners associations through Video Conference today.

The Staff Side was represented in the meeting by the following Comrades:

1. Shiva Gopal Mishra

2. Guman Singh

3. C Srikumar

4. Bhosle

5. Shankar Rao

6. Roopak Sarkar

We protested and opposed the move of the Government for taking the authority through Parliament for establishing disparity among pensioners, as such discrimination amongst the pensioners is a clear violation of the Supreme Court Judgment and also a threat on the recommendations of the 7th CPC which was accepted by the Government for maintaining parity between pensioners who retired prior to 01/01/2016 and after 01/01/2016. Government having announced the 8th CPC and the present decision has come as a big blow on the pensioners and hence this needs to be reconsidered and withdrawn by the Government. Our views were supported by Pensioners Associations also.

Responding to the views expressed by the Staff Side Members and the representatives of the Pensioners Associations, Secretary (Pension) clarified the following:

1. Since the 5th and 6th CPC has maintained disparity between Pensioners who retired before and after 1st January 1996 and before and after 1st January 2006 respectively which the Government also agreed and implemented those recommendations. However Government was not having any authority in the Pension Rules for providing such distinction according to the Supreme Court and hence Government for having that authority the provisions have been incorporated in the CCS (Pension) Rules.

2. The apprehension that the parity between pensioners given by the 7th CPC and implemented by the Government will be taken away is not correct since it is already there and the same will continue to be there with the 8th CPC also and hence there is nothing to worry and Government is committed towards the welfare of the pensioners.

In view of the above clarification given by the Secretary (Pension) we demanded that to remove the fear and apprehensions in the mind of pensioners, Government should issue a clarification in this regard and the same should be included in the Terms of Reference of the 8th CPC as already demanded by the Staff Side. Secretary (Pension) assured that a clarification will be issued in this regard. On a query about restoration of commuted portion of pension after 12 years, he informed that it has been decided to refer the matter to 8th CPC.

We will be updating you about further developments in this regard.

Yours fraternally,

(Shiva Gopal Mishra) Secretary