NCCPA CHQ writes to Honourable Prime Minister to reconsider the Amendment made by the Govt to Rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 (Now Rule 9 of CCS (Pension) Rules 2021 after repealing

National Coordination Committee of Pensioners Associations.

      NCCPA / Restoration / 1 /2023

                           Dated 28.07.2023

To

The Honourable Prime Minister

Government of India

New Delhi

Sub: Request for reconsideration of the amendment to Rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 to bring status-quo-ante – regarding.

Ref: DOPT OM No.F.No.38/41/19-P&PW(A) [6018] Dated 10.04.2023.

This CHQ of National Coordination Committee of Pensioners Associations, the Apex body of different Central Government Pensioners Associations, is shocked to see that the Rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 (Now the repealed Rule 9 of CCS (Pension) Rules 2021) is amended to grant extreme powers to the subordinate authorities without referring the disciplinary cases of Pensioners of Central Government to the President of India and to the UPSC but deciding the ultimate punishment by the Secretary of the Administrative Machinery. The DOPT OM referred above may be reconsidered. This NCCPA prays for restoration of the Rule 8 of CCS(Pension) Rules, 2021 to the position of status-quo-ante for the following reasons:

1.     In cases of bias against the Government Servants by the Subordinate Authorities and the disciplinary cases initiated to cover up the failures of the Authorities themselves for any loss caused to the GOI, the referring of the matters to the UPSC for its impartial judgment and the compulsion to refer the issue to the President of India for a final decision of withholding /withdrawal of Pension / Gratuity, will be one and only remedy available to the retiring Government Employees who are the victims of bias shown by the Subordinate Authorities.

2.     After serving the members of Public and to the Government for decades from the time of recruitment, the only option available to the Government Servants against any initiation of disciplinary cases at the fag end of their service, the status-quo-ante position was acting as a deterrent. Now that the Secretary of the concerned Administrative Machinery can decide the final fate of the Pension / Gratuity without referring to UPSC and to the President of India, enormous powers are granted to the Officers to continue the bias perpetrated by the lower authorities. There is no guarantee that the Secretary of the Administrative Ministry will act judiciously before withholding / withdrawing of Pension / Gratuity because of the fact that the Administrative Ministry also may be influenced enormously by the lower authorities, being the same Department / Ministry.

3.     The UPSC and the President of India being away from the concerned Ministry / Department, are now judiciously applying their minds to each case. The decisions of the UPSC and the President of India are now practically seen in many cases to go against the ill-verdict of the Disciplinary Authorities. This only protection available to the Government Employees who served decades to the Department before retirement is also being snatched away. The Government Employees are thrown to the whims of the Administrative Authorities by this amendment of removal of compulsion to refer the matter to the decision of UPSC and to the President of India.

This NCCPA CHQ requests the Honourable Prime Minister of India to intervene personally and cause to restore the Rule 8 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 (the repealed Rule 9 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021) to the Status-quo-ante position and grant the only protection available to the retiring Government Employees after serving for decades to the GOI and to the members of Public at large. The reconsideration by the Government will be appreciated by all the senior citizen community in our country.

Thanking you Sir,

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-

(K.Ragavendran)

Secretary General