Space Act for the acts in the Space

This report TheHindu  dt 29-2-2016 )  may be of interest to you.

Budget 2016-17

You would have already heard the Budget speech by our FM and subsequent analysis by "experts" in the Channels.
Now I have only a couple of points for you to note .

No change in Income Tax Slabs. However there is  an additional Rebate of 3000/- on the tax payable making it a total of 5000/-  (for those in the 5 Lakh slab).

Budgetory provisions are included in the 2016-17 Budget  for the implementation of 7CPC.

Does that make you happy ?

Better than 7CPC recommendations

" TheHindu "  exclusive report says  quoting our Fin Minister :

The Govt would announce increases slightly more than the recommendations of 7CPC . The pay-outs  which will begin from April 1 will include arrears for three months. More than 1 Lakh Crore has been budgeted under this head.

Economic Survey and ISRO Retirees

Economic Survey  and  ISRO Retirees

Hey…. You thought  I am talking about  the  North and South poles ?  No …  Take it literally …   I am talking about all of us ISRO retirees and the Economic Survey presented  by the CEA yesterday. 

Why I am trying to mix the steel with water is,   it matters a lot for us.

First : 

The Economic Survey 2015-16 says that 7CPC and OROP implementation is a BURDEN on the exchequer.   

We all know that this is a burden and not a BURDEN !  

The  Once-in-a – decade Pay Commission  will certainly bring in burden on Govt finances.  Why did the Govt not understand that the wage/salary and pension revisions should be more frequent  ( every 2 or 3 years !).  Such revisions will bring in small increases in loads if atall they are loads on finances.

The Govt must be knowing that there has to be an increase in this load. Why didn’t you plan things to accommodate such increases ?   Why did you not plan to invest well for increased returns for meeting the burden ?  You made the burden a BURDEN. 

Well … I don’t like to say anything more  here .

Second :  

Before I tell you something on this , you should confirm yourself that you belong to this class .

All of us … no…. Most of us …. No …. Many of us … no … Some of us ….  Err… may be right … now  what’s right  among this ?  Let me say, many of us are Tax payers. So , Be proud ! We are good citizens !  We are among the 5.5 %  of the “well-off”  in India who pays tax. Rest of the well-off  are non-tax-payers .  As the Govt needs more Tax collection the net is about to be spread. So  no more raising the tax exemption threshold.  So…. 3 Lakh exemption in 2015-16 is  3 Lakh exemption in 2016-17.  Moreover since you are in the net  , you can continue to be in the comfort of the net in the future too.

Third :

The  media reports say  that there is a section in the Economic Survey  report called  “Bounties for the well-off” .  It says ,  there are 7 major areas where the well-off are subsidized.

Kerosene   5501 Cr.       Yes …  I think I am getting  a subsidy for my  ONE  Litre quota of Keresene from the Ration shop.  Dear FM ,  please take off that subsidy.

Railways    3670 Cr.        Yes … You are offering me 40% reduction in fares for my travel in Railway.  If you want us  (these old guys !)  to pay full for our once-in-a-while travel, no problem … Make it so…

Electricity    37170 Cr.       No…no… I don’t think I am getting any subsidized  Electricity .  Please find out who gives to whom.

LPG    40151 Cr.   Yes I understand that about Rs. 150/= per cylinder (and 10 cylinders in an year )  is paid back to me as subsidy.  OK… If you are so firm on it I don’t mind … Take it off  !

Gold    4093 Cr.   My God,  You should not offer any subsidy to buy Gold for any one.  Take it off immediately.. Right now !

Aviation Turbine Fuel     762 Cr.   I need not comment at all .  No need to subsidise  things like this ( By the by, who asked for this subsidy ? )

Small Savings    11900  Cr.     First you should know that Small Savings means  NSC, Post Office deposits and PPF.  I never knew that my small savings are subsidized.  I  thought these are Govt’s  competitive ways of fund collections from public.  Govt must be using these huge amounts for  investing in various programmes that generate income.  And so Govt is paying interest on the deposits ,  hardly 0.5 % more than the Bank deposits.  Ooh …  If you have a well-thought decision to take off the subsidy (?) ... Ok. But I am sure, your intentions will falter.

That’s the end of the story of  7 subsidies from the Economic Survey Report.  Now, let’s wait for Feb 29 !  We’ll listen to  Mr. Jaitly. He is ready with  more  subsidies. He'll  give and take subsidies. 

After all, let's pray  .. He should not  subsidise the 7CPC recommendations. 

7CPC Empowered Committee Meeting with Staff Side JCM

7CPC Empowered Committee Meeting with Staff Side JCM is on 01.03.2016.

Committee of Secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary would meet Representatives of Staff Side JCM to discuss 26 Point charter of Demands on 7CPC.

NCCPA demands before 7CPC Implementation Cell

NCCPA demands before 7CPC Implementation Cell

National Co-ordination Committee of Pensioners Association is the apex organisation of Associations/Federations of Central Government Pensioners. 
NCCPA had submitted a detailed memorandum to the 7CPC on various demands, problems and grievances of the Central Government Pensioners. Here is a list of major issues presented to the Implementation Cell.

1. Parity between the past and present pensioners be brought about on the basis of the 7CPC recommendations with the modification that the basis of computation be the pay level of the post/grade/scale of pay from which the employee retired, whichever is beneficial to him.

2. Pension to be 60% of the last pay drawn and family pension to be 50% of the last pay drawn. Minimum pension to be 60% of the minimum wage and minimum family pension to be 50% of the Minimum wage.

3. Enhance the pension and family pension on the basis of the increased age of the pensioner. Grant 5% rise in pension for every addition of 5 years of age, 10% after attaining the age of 80 and 20% for those beyond 90

4. Restoration of Commuted value after 10 years and gratuity as per the provisions of the Gratuity Act.

5. Fixed Medical Allowance to 2000/-.

6. Grant of HRA for pensioners.

7. Grant of an increment prior to the date of retirement.

Free for Senior Citizens

Good News for Senior Citizens in Chennai !

Travel in buses (non-AC only) in Chennai is now FREE for Senior Citizens.  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister  is so kind  to implement this.

Full Pension for Pre-2006 Pensioners with 20+ Years of Service.

Full Pension for Pre-2006 Pensioners with 20+ Years of Service.

Govt agrees for implementing orders of CAT within one month.

 (   Ref : GConnect.in )

But this may take some more time  as the Govt has to issue orders for implementation  !

PF interest rate is 8.8%

Now it is confirmed that the PF interest rate or this FY is fixed as  8.8 %

"Thalaikoothal"

I am disturbed.  I read this report for a second time, to convince myself of the contents. I cant believe !!


Why are these people so cruel ??


Please read the following news appeared in TheHindu yesterday.




Thalaikoothal  in Tamil means Geronticide  (The killing or euthanasia of the elderly)

Picture courtesy MalayalaManorama

Good news and Not very good news.

Latest Reports say : 

Individual taxpayers could get some relief as the FM is likely to raise the minimum income threshold for paying personal income tax for those below 60 years of age to Rs 3 lakh a year  (and 3.5 Lakhs a year for Senior Citizens) . ie. upward revision of just Rs. 50000.

Some of the Pvt sector companies are  to give the highest annual increment of more than 15% in salary in 2016. How much annual increments  would Govt employees get by 7CPC) ?

PF interest rate is 8.8 % for this FY.

7CPC Implementation Cell meeting with NJCA  fixed for 17th February 2016,  to discuss on Staff Side demands  has been postponed to 19 th.

PF interest rate for 2015-16 may be 9 %

EPFO is likely to announce a 9 percent interest rate for PF deposits for 2015-16.

Raise IT exemption limit to 4 Lakhs

Assocham has asked the Govt to increase the Personal IT exemption limit  to 4 Lakhs (from 2.5 L) in the upcoming budget.

Rail staff for Strike from April 11

95 % of the 9.6 Lakh  Railway employees are in favor of the strike from April 11 by NJAC.
Their  11 point charter of demands include settlement of issues raised by NJAC on 7CPC recommendations. 

Budget crisis and 7CPC

It seems,  as many including our FM says,   the 7CPC and OROP are making a hell of the Indian economy. On the other hand  some experts say otherwise. One economist says " Never waste a crisis".
The report says :
"
The FM has budgeted Rs 1.1 lakh Crore for pay and pension hikes  slightly more generous than the 7CPC recommendations.  This payout to the CG employees and pensioners will spur consumption spending in the economy and therefore support growth. But it will also stretch the resources that the FM has to keep the fiscal deficit under the 2016-17 target of 3.5 %.
....
If the 7CPC award will lead to a feel-good factor ,  disinvestment and subsidies rationalisation would control the fiscal deficit.
"

DA merger now; Pay increase later !!

Dr.Roy, 7CPC member,  now  suggests that generous award of pay hike can be extended to CG Employees by providing them the pay increase in staggered manner. He also suggested that DA could be merged with Pay this year and the real increase in pay suggested by 7CPC can be made effective in the subsequent years so that the impact of the increase  in pay out of 7CPC implementation would be minimal each year and consequently Economic Stability  of the Country is not affected.

Under-budgeting for Pensions. Not this year ?

We have an excellent article from BusinessLine today, highlighting the need to avoid Under-budgeting for Pensions and Subsidies. The table given says that it is a usual practice to under-budget for Pensions  to an average deviation of 21.3 % for Pensions, during the last years. This makes the Centre's budget unrealistic !

The Economists now suggest that this should be avoided. This year (FY 16-17), there is a need for 1.1 lakh crore towards 7CPC and OROP implementation. Unless the whole money is provided for, there is a critical issue of managing the fiscal deficits. So, the effort is to make the Budget realistic !!

Please read the full article below ..

Dogs play

This may be interesting to watch !

Increase in 7CPC pay

If the new reports are believable , 7CPC Implementation panel may recommend to increase the Minimum Basic Pay.  The employees have been protesting that the hike in totality is only 14.27%, the lowest in 70 years., and are mulling over to go on an indefinite strike from 11 April.  As per reports, it is likely to effect the basic pay hike of around 30%, on implementation wef  January 1, 2016.

More on Banks

Who is Eating Our Money ? 

Not by Bank of Baroda alone (as the latest news quoted on the huge losses). Many of these  PS Banks are swallowing the public money. 

Fortunately Govt will continue to support them. Finance Minister said :   “The government is committed to supporting public sector banks by providing whatever capital requirements because these banks have played an important role in supporting the economy,” 

Who loots the public ?

Common-man is angry. He asks :

Why our Tax money is used to finance all these mismanaged Banks ?

Government has decided to infuse  another Rs 2.4  Lakh Crore into the public sector Banks ( this works out to Rs 10,000 from every Indian family). 

Is this money down a drain ?  Yes  That's what the history tells us. After all, all government banks put together are now valued at no more than the present infused capital.

Do you remember ,  while UPA was in power they wrote off over 75000 Crores against Agricultural Loans. Statistics later showed that only 15 % of this money went to the right and needy agricultural people. No need to guess,  the rest of the money was looted by Banks Intermediaries  and Agents (aka Politicians). 

Moreover when Pension matters were discussed  the then Finance Minister (Mr. Chidambaram) said "Pensions are the biggest burden on Govt exchequer".

Gravitational Waves

This may not matter to the 7CPC or CHSS or  Pension and the like. But I am sure this would interest  atleast a few among ISRO retirees,
I am talking about the latest discovery !  The Gravitational Waves !!

Reproduced below is an article by Dr.Jayant Narlikar, from the BusinessLine dt.13-2-2016.

You will get more on this at  PhysicsWorld.Com

If you are looking for more on this GREAT DISCOVERY , please go to 

PHYSICSWORLD. COM

LIGO detects first ever gravitational waves

 – from two merging black holes

But it is the "Om", Omkaram !

ISCF - Annual Pocket Diary - 2016.

ISCF (ISRO Senior Citizens Forum )  have brought out their Annual Pocket Diary - 2016.
This is certainly a very useful reference book for all  ISRO Retirees, ISROfef congratulates ISCF .

Warning : Lower Interest rates from April 1

The interest rates on Small savings ( PPF , NSC  and Post Office Savings   ) will be lowered from 1 April this year.

The Govt has decided  to align the interest rates with market rates and revise them on a quarterly basis.

The reduction in rates will be about 0.6 to 1.3 % {  now offers 8.6  to 9.3 %  against Bank deposits offering 5 % and 8 % depending on the tenure of deposit )

Interesting news !

Several State Govts  have already raised the salaries of their elected representatives. Now the Telangana  Govt too is in the process of increasing the salaries of MLAs, MLCs and those who are holding cabinet-rank posts in the State by THREE  folds.

" No Pay Commissions required ..." as some reports quote !

It is a general view of all Central Government Employees that certain allowances, reimbursement and advances which have been abolished or restricted in 7CPC report are to be allowed to continue.

" Govt is in favour of waiving the employees’ contribution altogether up to a certain level of income. This will boost the take-home salary of such employees rather than force them to park so much of their monthly income into their EPF account for retirement,”

Some Good News !

Reports say that the PM Narendra Modiji has asked officials to speed up review process so that it could be implemented soon. He has asked Committee of Secretaries to provide maximum possible benefits to the employees.

There is indication that the Empowered Committee is also positively mulling the demand of CG employees for hiking the minimum pay.

CG Employees to strike work indefinitely from 11 April 2016

Central Government Employees to strike work indefinitely from 11th April 2016 against anti-employee 7CPC recommendations.

National Joint Council Association which is a joint action committee representing Central Government Employees, Railway Employees, Defence Civilian Employees and Postal Employees has decided to proceed on indefinite strike from 11th April 2016 on the demand of revising 7CPC recommendations with respect to areas which are anti-employee. Earlier NJCA had released 26 Point Charter of demands for the indefinite Strike which was planned from 1st March 2016.

26 Point Charter of Demands of NJCA  Click here to read.

NJCA demands include :

Revise  the Minimum Pay to Rs. 26,000

Revise  annual increment  to 5%. 

Revise Salary every  5 years.

Revise the pension and other retirement benefits as under:-

(a) Parity between the past and present pensioners to be brought about on the basis of the 7th CPC recommendations with the modification that basis of computation to be the pay level of the post / grade/ scale of pay from which one retired; whichever is beneficial.

b) Pension to be 60% of the last pay drawn in the case of all eligible persons who have completed the requisite number of years of service,

c) The family pension to be 50% of the last pay drawn,

d) Enhance the pension and family pension by 5% after every five years and 10% on attaining the age of 85 and 20% on attaining the age of 90.

e) Commuted value of pension to be restored after 10 years or attaining the age of 70, whichever is earlier. Gratuity calculation to be on the basis of 25 days in the month as against 30 days as per the Gratuity Act.

f) Fixed medical allowance for those pensioners not covered by CG1-15 and REHS to be increased to Rs. 2000 p.m.

g) Provide one increment on the last day in service if the concerned employee has completed six months or more from the date of grant of last increment.

Ref : gconnect.in 

ISRO Pensioner - Inhouse magazine from ISRO-PA

ISRO Pensioners' Association 

have just started publishing an Inhouse Magazine

"  ISRO PENSIONER  "

from January 2016

ISROfef  congratulates this promising effort

and wish that it would help and benefit every ISRO pensioner.

ISRO Pensioners' Association - 6th Bi-Annual Conference

Congratulations to 

ISRO Pensioners' Association 

on organising the 6th Bi-Annual Conference

during April 2016

ISRO makes a Satellite from spares - saves Time and Cost

Very interesting news !!

ISRO scientists in Ahmedabad use ‘spares’ for weather satellite to save cost and time

Click  here to read the full story in YAHOO   Satellite from Spares

A Good News

That's a good news ! 
Finance Minister confirms that " 1.1 Lakh Crore is set aside in 2016-17 budget".  This is aimed at implementing 7CPC recommendations and OROP during 2016-17 FY.

7CPC - Meeting of Empowered Committee with Nodal Officers on 02.02.2016

It's time Departments and Employees/Retirees Associations can act !

A meeting of all the Nodal Officers of various Ministries/Departments, who have been appointed to interact with the Implementation Cell in connection with the processing of the recommendations of the 7CPC was held on 02.02.2016. Joint Secretary (IC), Department of Expenditure, presided over the meeting.
Ministries and Departments can raise afresh the demand for pay revisions or modifications  if they find that some of the justified suggestions made by the staff associations were not accepted by the 7CPC.

To View the minutes Click here

7CPC - Merging DA now. Defer all increments

7CPC - Pay and Pension revision recommendations are scheduled to take effect from Jan 1 2016.
But now a member of the 7CPC  Mr. Rathin Roy,  has suggested that the Govt should merge the Basic Pay and DA in the current year. Implementing the increases in pay pensions may be deferred now.
This is aimed at meeting the financial targets  this year. He also says that this may be compensated by giving them a more generous award distributed over several years".

He said  the increments need not all be given at one go. It can be staggered and made more generous.

Whats your comment ?

OROP - instructions issued

OROP - Scheme for defense personnel - The detailed instructions and tables on implementation are released by Govt. That means its done now !

Full pension to Pre-2006 pensioners with gt20 but lt33 years service

As you are aware, the Supreme Court, in its Judgement Dt. 28-8-2015 have dismissed the Govt's Review Petition on this issue. Thus the case has attained finality of Law.

However, the Govt is not responsive to this. Pensioners Organisations (CGPA, ...) have now appealed the PrimeMinister  to intervene for an immediate issuance of necessary Govt. orders.

DA as on 1-1-2016 is 125 %

Now, it is confirmed that the DA as on 1-1-2016 is 125 % (  ie. 6 %  increase during the last half).
This would result in NOT requiring any modification for the 7CPC multiplying factor of 2.57.