NOIP Circular No 18 - 2024

 NATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INSURANCE PENSIONERS

Regn No.PN 4769 (Regd under Indian T U Act, 1926)

(Affiliated to Bharateeya Mazdoor Sangh)

BMS Office, Vishwakarma Bhavan, 185, Shaniwar Peth, Pune 411030.

 President: T.C. Gunesh Kumar General Secretary: Ashok J. Joshi

 Mob No: 9880683639 Mob No: 9561084182 & 9945104570

Date: 11-06-2024

Cir No 18/2024

Smt.Nirmala Sitharaman ji,

Honourable Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs,

Govt of India, North Block,

New Delhi

Respected Madam,

Sub: Hearty greetings

We are pleased to note that you are once again inducted as the finance minister of this great, vibrant,

democratic Bharat, by Modi 3.0 government. You richly deserve this. Please accept our hearty

congratulations on this feat.

This has reference to our earlier letters dtd.15-6-2019, 02-01-2020, 19-07-2020, 7-10-2020, 17-4-2021,

08-06-2021, 1-10-2021, 20-10-2021, 23-11-2021, 24-09-2022, 25-02-2023, 12-09-2023 & 21-11-2023

regarding the pending pension related issue of LIC pensioners.

We are happy to note that you approved the historic wage revision for the in service LIC employees. You

also approved the enhancement of family pension, the issue which was long pending. We are indebted

to you for this benevolence.

We would like to draw your kind attention once again, to the following pension issues pending for

resolution, since decades. The pensioners are at your mercy, because they cannot sustain the long fight

to realise their rightful demands during their twilight days. The people of India have given another

mandate to Modi govt, expecting all round progress of the society at large. We are also part of this

society and rightfully expect that our issues be resolved satisfactorily.

We reiterate the pending issues here below￾1) Updation of pension with every wage revision- OROP

2) One more pension option to the left-over ex-servicemen and directly recruited

Superintending/Executive engineers (whose number is less than 100 in total). When

Modiji and yourself have done a lot of good things to the Ex-Servicemen including grant

of OROP, why a handful of ex-servicemen in LIC are denied the pension option, is not

understandable.

3) Increased pension to 80+ seniors.

4) Double the family pension up to age 67 in case pensioner dies before age 67.

5) Computation of pension at 50% of last pay drawn or 50% of last 10 months’ average pay,

whichever is favourable to the retiree.

6) Full pension for service of 20 years or more.

7) One more pension option to those PF optees, who have resigned and had put in more

than 20 years of service. (Resigned due to domestic/health issues, mostly ladies). The said

option has already been granted to the resignees in Banks in their 12th Bipartite Wage

Settlement.

We learn that the LIC management has already recommended the issues vide Sl Nos 2,3,4

& 5 above.

We fervently hope that your erudite self would bestow personal attention in the matter and

advise the DFS Dept to settle the long pending issues of senior citizens of LIC, once and for

all.

We look forward to meet you at the earliest.

With kind regards and thanks,

Yours Sincerely,

General Secretary

NOIP Circular No 17 - 2024

 NATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INSURANCE PENSIONERS

Regn No.PN 4769 (Regd under Indian T U Act, 1926)

(Affiliated to Bharateeya Mazdoor Sangh)

BMS Office, Vishwakarma Bhavan, 185, Shaniwar Peth, Pune 411030.

 President: T.C. Gunesh Kumar General Secretary: Ashok J. Joshi

 Mob No: 9880683639 Mob No: 9561084182 & 9945104570

Date: 10-06-2024

Cir No 17/2024

Shri. Prashant Kumar Goyal,

Joint Secretary (Insurance),

Dept of Financial Services,

Jeevan Deep Bldg, Sansad Marg,

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Sub: Pending pension related issues of LIC’s Pensioners vis-à-vis our meeting held with you.

This is further to our meeting with you in your office in Delhi on 25-04-2024. We are grateful to

you for having given to us an audience, to discuss the pending pension related issues. You were

kind enough to give a patient hearing and we were impressed by your reassuring gesture.

➢ You informed us that ex gratia payment to LIC’s pensioners has been approved by the

DFS. On our pointed query, you affirmed that it is on bank pattern.

➢ On 7-5-2024, LIC issued a circular granting one time ex gratia payment to the pensioners

and family pensioners. It is a paltry amount and denied payment to pensioners less than

70 years of age and it is contrary to what was granted to the bank pensioners.

➢ In banks, monthly ex gratia has been sanctioned for the period of 12th Bipartite

settlement and is being paid every month along with the usual pension, pending

pension updation, to all the pensioners without any discrimination.

➢ LIC has discriminated by denying the one-time ex gratia to those pensioners less than 70

years of age, which act of theirs smacks of equity, fairness; and vindicates their divisive

action of denying the benefit to all (pensioners of less than 70 years of age were left

out).

➢ Hence, we implore upon you to- 1) grant the one-time ex gratia to all the pensioners

irrespective of age, 2) Increase the one-time ex gratia to at least 5 times the amount

granted to all categories of pensioners, irrespective of the age of pensioners AND/OR 3)

Grant substantial monthly ex gratia (better than the one granted to bank pensioners) for

the current wage revision period, to be paid to all the pensioners/family pensioners, till

the pension updation is done.

➢ We also request you to consider other pension related demands made by us including

One More Pension Option (OMOP) to the less than 100 ex-servicemen and directly

recruited engineers.

We hope to receive a positive response from your end,

With thanks and regards,

 Yours Sincerely,

 General Secretary

NOIP Circular No 16 - 2024

 NATIONAL ORGANISATION OF INSURANCE PENSIONERS

Regn No.PN 4769 (Regd under Indian T U Act, 1926)

(Affiliated to Bharateeya Mazdoor Sangh)

BMS Office, Vishwakarma Bhavan, 185, Shaniwar Peth, Pune 411030.

 President: T.C. Gunesh Kumar General Secretary: Ashok J. Joshi

 Mob No: 9880683639 Mob No: 9561084182 & 9945104570

Date: 02-06-2024

Cir No 16/2024

The Chairperson,

L I C of India, Central Office,

“Yogakshema”, Jeevan Bima Marg,

Mumbai – 400021

Dear Sir,

Re: - Certain Changes in our Group Mediclaim Policy

Our Group Mediclaim Policy, for the benefit of employees and Retired employees, was renewed with New

India Assurance Company Ltd for one year with effect from 01.04.2024 to 31.03.2025 (b.d.i) for a total

premium of Rs 864,53,88,000/- (including GST).

Recently, certain changes have taken place in the Health Insurance Industry but those have not been

incorporated in our policy conditions. The major two such important changes, amongst others, relevant

to our employees/retired employees are given below.

• Guidelines on providing AYUSH coverage in Health Insurance Policies vide IRDAI circular Ref:

IRDAI/HLT/CIR/GDL/31/01/2024 dated 31.01.2024, wherein it has been clearly stated to

consider AYUSH treatments at par with other treatments. The circular states that, the policy shall

also contain the parameters as well as procedure for enrolling AYUSH Hospitals/Day care Centers

as network providers for the purpose of providing cashless facility. The circular to come into

force w.e.f 01.04.2024, as mentioned in the said circular. But in our GMC Policy Bond at page no

18, vide serial no 4, where AYUSH has been explained, this provision has not been considered.

Moreover, the maximum reimbursement under AYUSH has been restricted to 25% of sum

insured during the policy period. This is not as per guideline of IRDAI circular as mentioned above.

• Cashless Everywhere: Till now a health insurance policyholder can get cashless treatment only

at network hospitals with whom the insurance company has tied up. If it is a non -network

hospital, the policyholder has to pay the entire amount from his pocket and then go through the

cumbersome reimbursement process. The General Insurance Council (GIC) in consultation with

general and health Insurance Companies has launched ‘Cashless Everywhere’ initiative to extend

the cashless treatment at all hospitals. Health Insurance policyholders can now avail of cashless

facilities even at hospitals that are not in the network of the insurers. The cashless facility at non￾network hospitals will be effective immediately as per General Insurance Council statement on 24.01.2024. Several Private General Insurance Companies e.g Bajaj Allianze, TATA AIG have

welcomed this proposal. Surprisingly, our Insurer NIA is silent on this issue till date. Hence, we

request “The procedure for availing cashless access service” as enumerated in page no 13 and

14 at serial no 4 of the same GMC Policy Bond should be suitably revised by our Insurer NIA

immediately by way of administrative instruction.

We, therefore, strongly urge upon you to take up the matter with the New India Assurance Company Ltd

at the earliest so that uniform procedure is followed throughout the country and due benefit is provided

to the employees and retired employees of LIC of India.

Copy of the relevant documents are attached for your ready reference.

With thanks and regards,

 Yours Sincerely,

 General Secretary