LIC CASES ARE POSTED FOR HEARING ON 24/07/2018 IN SUPREME COURT

[AFTER NOTICE (FOR ADMISSION) - CIVIL CASES]
14	SLP(C) No. 19799/2017 XIV	ALL INDIA INSURANCE PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION THR. ITS PRESIDENT AND ORS.	M. RAMBABU AND CO.
		Versus
		UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.	ASHOK PANIGRAHI[R-2], [R-3]
14.1	Connected SLP(C) No. 20929/2017 XIV	ALL INDIA RETIRED INSURANCE EMPLOYEES FEDERATION	RAMESHWAR PRASAD GOYAL
		Versus
		LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA AND ANR.	ASHOK PANIGRAHI[R-1], ANIL KATIYAR[R-2]
		and IA No. 141188/2017 - CLARIFICATION/DIRECTION
14.2	Connected SLP(C) No. 21206/2017 XIV	FEDERATION OF RETD. LIC CLASS I OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND ORS.	T. L. GARG
		Versus
		UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.	ASHOK PANIGRAHI[R-2], [R-3]
		FOR ADMISSION and I.R.
14.3	Connected SLP(C) No. 27963/2017 XIV	RETIRED LIC CLASS I OFFICERS ASSOCIATION	GYAN PRAKASH SRIVASTAVA
		Versus
		LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA	ASHOK PANIGRAHI[R-1]
		IA No.70987/2017-EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT
14.4	Connected SLP(C) No. 30000/2017 XIV	KRISHNA MURARI LAL ASTHANA	PETITIONER-IN-PERSON[P-1]
		Versus
		LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA THROUGH THE SENIOR DIVISIONAL MANAGER AND ORS.	ASHOK PANIGRAHI[R-1]
		IA No.91874/2017-PERMISSION TO FILE LENGTHY LIST OF DATES and IA No.95721/2017-I/A FOR DELETION OF PERFORMA RESPONDENTS
14.5	Connected SLP(C) No. 28873/2017 XIV	MADAN LAL GANDHI AND ORS.	JAY SAVLA
		Versus
		UNION OF INDIA SECRETARY MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPT. OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND ORS.	ASHOK PANIGRAHI[R-2], [R-3], [R-4]

OUR ONGOING LEGAL BATTLE IN SUPREME COURT

DEAR ALL,

IT IS ONE YEAR SINCE MSM LEFT US.

It is exactly a year ago on 8/7/2017 that Mr M Sreenivasa Murty left us for his heavenly abode leaving not only his near and dear ones in his family in grief, but also about 50000 LIC Pensioners grieving when he was in the midst of handling the health issues of his better half (besides his own health issues to which he gave lesser attention) besides being intensively engaged to take a plunge in the final legal battle in the Supreme Court. He was more preoccupied with his mission to secure justice for the Pensioners in the last lap of the legal fight about to commence at the Supreme Court. He literally sacrificed his life and resources for the just cause of the pensioners. Just before his demise he was vigorously preparing to finalise the draft of the SLP of our Hyderabad Association to be filed in the Supreme Court, but destiny did not allow him to continue in his mission. His unfortunate demise dealt a severe blow to the fraternity of pensioners and created a traumatic vacuum in our Association's effort to carry on with the legal fight.   

We had to gradually come to terms with the shocking development and MSM's soul guided us during the critical periods during the past one year of his absence and enabled us to go through the legal process in the midst of financial constraints faced by our Association to the extent possible with the blessings and cooperation of pensioners from across the length and breadth of the country. We are now on the path of the final management of the struggle from 24/7/2018 when our SLPs are scheduled to be taken up by the SC for admission and hearing.

As far as the SLPs and rejoinders filed by the various petitioners are concerned, I believe that all the petitioners/Petitioner Associations would have highlighted and emphasized  the strong grounds in favour of the Pensioners. As far as the SLP and Rejoinder filed by our Hyderabad Retired Class I Officers' Association are concerned, we are confident that we have made them as comprehensive and sound as possible. We have especially tried to highlight the apparent glaring errors in the DHC judgment and also to effectively refute the unsustainable  points made in the counter affidavit filed by LIC.

While on this, I may inform our pensioner friends, that, notwithstanding our contest of the verdict of the Delhi High Court through our SLP, we have made constant efforts to get LIC to comply with the direction of the said High Court to LIC to provide partial relief by way of payment of arrears of DR besides revising the DR as per modifications ordered in the judgment and also upgradation of minimum pension ordered by the Bench. But unfortunately, LIC has chosen not to comply with the Court order although they had not challenged the High Court Order dated 27/4/2017 during the past more than one year and there being no stay of the DHC judgment. I had even sent queries through an RTI application made to LIC CO to which I received only an evasive reply. I have made an appeal to the Appellate Authority (in LIC) on 21/6/2018.Going by my experience with the RTI response of LIC in a number of cases , I am not sure whether I shall get a positive response  from the Appellate Authority. If I do not receive a satisfactory reply to my Appeal, I propose to make a final appeal to Central Information Commission.

Now, coming to the final battle in the Supreme Court on our SLP, no doubt our SLP and Rejoinder have enormous strength of grounds. But unless these strong grounds are argued before the SC bench by a senior counsel engaged by us, all our efforts cannot fructify easily. This is the area where we are constrained financially. With MSM handling the case, we had assured comfort both from the point of legal front and the financial front besides the cooperation rendered by the pensioners from all over the country. Now the situation has become different on the financial front. We are in dire need of funds for engaging a senior counsel and carrying on the legal fight ahead. It is now a 'Do or Die' situation we are in, to put it in short.

I therefore appeal to all my pensioner friends to liberally contribute to our legal fund so that we will be in a position to carry the legal fight to a successful conclusion thereby benefiting the long-waiting pensioners through upgradation of pension. Individual contributions at the rate of  at least Rs 5000/- will be greatly useful for our purpose although we shall value contributions of lesser amounts  from pensioner friends with gratitude.

Nothing can be a better tribute to the memory of MSM than achieving the desired successful outcome in our case in Supreme Court for the benefit of all generations of pensioners for which all of us need to contribute our mite.

The particulars of our Association's Bank Account are mentioned below for your ready reference:

PARTICULARS FOR FUND TRANSFER

ACCOUNT NAME: RETIRED LIC CLASS I OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION, HYDERABAD

SB A/c No 053310100000317

Bank : ANDHRA BANK SAIFABAD BRANCH,HYDERABAD,

IFSC  No ANDB0000533

Cheques may be drawn in favour of "RETIRED LIC CLASS I OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION, HYDERABAD" and sent to Treasurer at the following address:

Shri Y V Subba Rao,

Block No 4, Flat No G1, Diamond Estates,

Ram Murty Nagar,CBCID  Colony,

Hyder Nagar,

Hyderabad 500072

Mob No 9491124614

With greetings,

C H Mahadevan