NATIONAL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE
OF PENSIONERS ASSOCIATIONS.
To
Secretary,
Pension,
Department of Pension and Pensioner Welfare.
Ministry of Personnel andTraining.
Government of India,
Lok Nayak Bhawan,
New Delhi 110 001.
Dear Sir,
Sub:Modified assured Career progression Scheme- date of implementation Decision of the Supreme Court of India- issuance of orders regarding.
We solicit your kind attention to the order issued by the DOPT introducing MACP scheme, which came into effect from.01.09.2008 onwards. Aggrieved by the provision concerning the date of effect, the Staff Side, National Council JCM had both on behalf of the working employees and Pensioners introduced items in the agenda of the National Anomaly Committee for making the scheme effective from 01.01.2006. The issue was considered as an anomaly for the reason that while the pay structure was implemented with effect from 01.01.2006, the date of effect for MACP was unfortunately determined to be 01.09.2008. No decision was taken by the Government on that item. Rather the official side dilly dallied the issue indefinitely. Even if they would have disagreed, the item would have as per the scheme of things been got referred to the Arbitrator.
The matter was taken up by a few Defence Personnel before the Armed Forces Tribunal, whose orders were clearly against the stand taken by the Government. Instead of accepting the decision of the Honourable Tribunal, the petitioners were dragged first to the High Court, and later to the Supreme Court The Honourable Supreme Court vide their order in W.P.No.3744/2016 dated 08.12.2017 directed the Government to accept the verdict of the Armed Forces Tribunal as that was rightly pronounced. Having left with no alternative, the Ministry of Defence issued the orders vide their letter in 14(1)/99-d(ag) dated 25.7.2018 making the decision of the Armed Forces Tribunal applicable only in respect of Defence armed personnel, leaving out the Civilian employees and pensioners from the ambit of the order.
We have been given to understand that the Secretary, Staff Side National Council had taken up the issue of giving effect to the MACP from 1.1.2006 with the Government through correspondence first on 16th January, 2018 i.e. immediately after the verdict of the Supreme Court and once again on 7th August, 2018, after the issuance of the orders by the Ministry of Defence extending the benefit of the verdict to the Defence personnel. To the best of our information and knowledge, the Department of Personnel did not even acknowledge these communications from the Staff Side, leave alone responding to it.
Recently, the Mumbai High Court in their order in WP no. 1763 of 2013 dated 15.10.2018 In the case of..Shri M..P Joseph Vs. Union of India and three others has directed the Government to immediately refix the pay and pension of the petitioner on the basis of the Supreme Court Verdict cited , failing which to pay him interest at the rate of 6%.
There are number of pensioners who will stand to financial benefit, if the Supreme Court verdict is implemented. The Honourable Supreme Court on more than one occasion has ruled that the decisions of general nature must be extended to all similarly placed employees/pensioners. In the case of Inderpal Yadav Vs. Union of India,(1985)SCC 648, the Supreme Court had stated :
“Those who could not come to the Court need not be at a comparative disadvantage position to that who rushed in here if they are otherwise similarly situated, they are entitled to similar treatment.”
We appeal to you on behalf of the pensioners that the matter concerning the date of effect of the MACP may be taken up with the Department of Expenditure and Department of Personnel and ensure that orders are issued making the verdict of the Supreme Court in the case of Armed personnel are made applicable to all similarly placed civilian employees/Pensioners without further loss of time. In other words, the MACP scheme may be made operative from 01.01.2006 to all Central Government employees/pensioners. We expect to receive a reply from your end.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
K.K.N.Kutty
Secretary General
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