Presentation made by Lokanath Mishra on 24.03.2025 at Hyderabad

Good morning, dear members of the All India Pensioners Association of CBIC (Telegana Unit)

In India, central government retired employees have two types of pensioners’ associations: All India-based and regional-based associations. These associations play a vital role in addressing the concerns and grievances of pensioners.

Presentation made by Lokanath Mishra on 24.03.2025 at Hyderabad:

Functions of All India-based Pensioners’ Associations

Grievance Redressal: Facilitate the resolution of pensioners’ grievances and provide detailed information on pension and retirement-related matters.
National Representation: Represent the interests of central government pensioners at the national level.
Community Building: Provide a platform for pensioners to connect and share their experiences.
Health Scheme Support: Try to solve the problems of pensioners facing issues with the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).
Pension Advocacy: Submit representations to parliament committees and the government of India on increasing or additional pension every five years.
Pension-Related Issues: Submit memorandums to the pay commission on pension-related issues.

Functions of Regional-based Pensioners’ Associations

Regional Issue Addressal: Address regional-specific issues and concerns of central government pensioners.
Health-Related Support: Address health-related issues and solve CGHS problems at the local level.
Local Support: Provide support and guidance to pensioners at the local level.
Community Events: Organize regional events and activities for pensioners.
Grievance Redressal: Attend pensioners’ adalats and nominate members for CGHS grievance meetings.
Annual Get-Togethers: Conduct annual get-togethers for pensioners.
Registration and Funding: Register the association to receive grants-in-aid from the central government.
Retired employees of the Central Board of Indirect Tax and Customs had numerous state-wise pensioners associations, but lacked a unified, all-India level association to coordinate these state-level associations. This changed in 2014 with the formation of an all-India level association for CBIC employees, led by Late Shankar Biswas, who served as President from 2015 until his passing. Late R. Kumar was secretary general during 2014-15 . I had the privilege of serving as Secretary General from 2016 to 2022, and since then, Shri Ravi Malik has taken over the role. Following Comrade Shankar Biswas’s passing, Shri Ashok Sharma has continued as President, and I, along with Comrade Ramesh Babu and G. C. Roul , have joined the advisory committee.
As per the constitution of the all India association, in a particular state or city there can be more than one unit of our association. There is no limit on the number of members in an unit, minimum five members can form a unit and this mini unit can obtain affiliation from the all India body.

Some notable achievements of the association include:

Seventh Pay Commission (7th CPC) Memorandum: The association submitted a detailed memorandum to the 7th CPC, which led to the acceptance of one demand for a national/proportional increase of annual increment from the date of retirement to 01.01.2016 for pension fixation .
Representations to Parliament Committee and Government: Successful representations were submitted to the parliament committee and government of India on issues related to CGHS, additional pension every five years, and more.
Eighth Pay Commission (8th CPC) Representations: Representations were submitted for the constitution of the 8th CPC.
Court Cases: Several court cases were filed on pay, MACP, NFGP, commutation of pension, date of annual increment, and other issues.⁠
Our Pensioners’ association is gearing up to submit their memorandum to the 8th Central Pay Commission. To prepare, association has asked its members to contribute points for inclusion in the memorandum. Here are the key issues that may be addressed:
Implementation of Parliamentary Standing Committee Recommendations: Pensioners seek the implementation of recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, including additional pension for those above 65, enhanced Fixed Medical Allowance, and CGHS centers at district locations .
Pensioners have been seeking simplification and improvement of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) facilities. Here are some potential demands:
Simplified Reimbursement Process: Streamline the reimbursement process for medical expenses, reducing the burden of paperwork and ensuring timely reimbursement. Increased Empanelled Hospitals: Increase the number of empanelled hospitals and wellness centers, providing pensioners with more options for medical care.
CGHS Services at District Level: Extend CGHS services to district levels, ensuring that pensioners in rural areas have access to quality medical care. 24/7 CGHS Helpline: Establish a 24/7 CGHS helpline to provide assistance and support to pensioners, addressing their queries and concerns.
Simplified Procedure for Referrals*: Simplify the procedure for referrals to specialized treatment, reducing the bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring timely medical attention.⁠ All pensioners should approach directly to empaneled hospitals for treatment, testing and admission without procuring the referral letter from wellness centers.
Medicines prescribed by doctors of empaneled hospitals should not be changed by wellness centers and medical stores should be opened by the supplier in wellness centers to supply the medicines on same day of issue of prescription.
Restoration of Commuted Pension: Associations demand the restoration of commuted pension after 10 years instead of 15 years.
Income Tax Exemption: Pensioners want their pensions exempted from income tax.
On CGHS referral hospitals: Pensioners demand better CGHS facilities, including easier referral processes, resolving complaints against empanelled hospitals, and revised CGHS rates.
Pension Revision: With the 8th Pay Commission, pensioners expect a pension revision considering the rising cost of living and inflation.
The actual fitment factor : The 7th Pay Commission recommended a fitment factor of 2.57, which was applied uniformly to all employees . However , our association has been advocating for an increase in the fitment factor to 3.68 .
The fitment factor is calculated based on economic indicators and historical benchmarks, including cost of living adjustments and previous pay commissions’ trends. It’s a multiplier used to revise the basic pay of government employees when a new pay commission is implemented.

While there’s no definitive answer to what the actual fitment factor should be, it’s clear that the current factor of 2.57 may not be sufficient to keep pace with the rising cost of living. The demand for an increased fitment factor of 3.68 is likely to continue until the government revises the existing factor.⁠

These demands aim to improve the lives of pensioners, ensuring they receive fair compensation and benefits.⁠
Finally the demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP) is a longstanding issue for our pensioners association, this issue we raised before the previous pay commission on ground that the executive officers of the CBIC are uniformed officers like officers and employees of Defense forces. Here’s a balanced analysis:

Justification for OROP:

Equal Pay for Equal Work*: OROP ensures that pensioners who served in the same rank and for the same duration receive the same pension, regardless of their date of retirement. The old retired officers should get similar pension at par with new retired officers of the same rank.