Press Coverage of Bokaro Apex Council Meeting

The 3rd Phase Action Plan of FORSE has been finalised as follows:

Details will follow soon.

1. Nov. 07-15, 2017: Each Unit to go for Aggressive campaigning and publicity of our demands and issues through various Media.  
2. Oct-Nov, 2016: Communication through MPs/ Ministers by each Unit to SAIL Chairman and Steel Minister on regular basis.
3. 9th January: Each Unit to hold protest meetings on that day.
4. Feb 05-10, 2017 : 3-day Dharna, Demonstration and Relay Hunger Strike in front of SAIL Corporate Office, New Delhi 

Inefficient functioning of SAIL Mediclaim Scheme and Suggestions to improve

Sept 13, 2016

Dr. Nilu Mahapatra,

Director (Personnel), SAIL

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Further to what I communicated in the mail trail inordinate and wilful delay in payment, repudiation of bills on flimsy grounds etc are resulting into more sufferance of the SAIL Retirees and leading to more and more queries by them - from TPA and their local offices, SAIL IRPs and us - as desperate attempt to find out why a resolution is not in sight even after our one-way regular and voluminous attempts to interact with all concerned incl. SAIL and clear the air wrt working of SAIL Mediclaim Scheme for over 5 months now-almost half the duration gone. Please remember that the terms of Agreement with the Insurance Co. and the TPA has no time frame for the 

1. release of payment of Bills, 
2. granting permission for Cashless treatment, 
3. release of payment to Hospital during patient's discharge (it has been taking 6-8 hours), 
4. correct and updated list of Hospitals,
5. dispatch and delivery of I-cards and the Guidebook   

We have prepared a list of suggestions incl the above issues for improvement which can be seen in the link http://tinyurl.com/sailmed  which has been discussed time and again with the TPA and accepted by them during the discussion but ever not implemented properly. Removal of latest gadgets and techniques like Robotic surgery from the list is unfortunate and backward looking service to Retirees.  

Inability of all these agencies including SAIL and its IRPs in Plants and Units to explain the reason of such poor and inefficient working of the SAIL Mediclaim Scheme for so long and appropriate measures not taken to bring the Mediclaim Scheme back to rails is making the members believe more on reliable insiders' informal communication 'that this contract is not workable and whole operation may collapse within next few months.  Also that OPD bills are held up just to slowdown the cash outflow of the IFFCO-TOKIO, the insurance company', that is causing panic in the minds of the Members of the Scheme.

We suggest that at this juncture when absence of communication and help to retirees by SAIL and absence of Action by Insurance Co. and the TPA is making the SAIL Retirees jittery by the day, SAIL must take some proactive action right now and correct the situation when this Mediclaim Insurance system appears to be failing completely. Instead of being a silent onlooker for so long SAIL may like to consider an alternative Plan to be ready to take care of Retirees health directly, at par with regular employees. It may please be noted that Retirees are contributing to the total premium paid by SAIL. 

With warm regards,

Copy to: All Chief Executives, all SAIL IRPS and FORSE e-groups

--

Dr.V.N.Sharma, Chairman 

For & on behalf of 

Federation of Retired SAIL Employees (Regd)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

11/09/2016

Dr. Nilu Mahapatra,

Director (Personnel), SAIL

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Further to our e-mail dated 21st July I have to bring to your kind notice that Mediclaim services have not improved much beyond that date. On some pretext or the other the payment for OPD/ IPD Bills are delayed and not done in large number of cases. Printed plastic I-card and the Guidebook are yet to reach large number of the Members hands. Retirees settled in distant locations are the worst sufferers of this unruly dispatch and delivery systems. Writing to Raksha TPA does not fetch a reliable response. Dates / schedule given for action requested by the Retirees is lapsed by and large.

Reliable informal communications reveal that some actions were initiated from your end in the form of Video Conferencing with all concerned including SAIL IRPs and Insurance Co. and the TPA but these seem to have little impact. The business is going as usual and Members of the Scheme continue to live without respite.

I request you to please expedite the processes to make the operation of the SAIL Mediclaim  Scheme more effective and efficient. We will appreciate if we are also kept in the loop of negotiation and communication.

With warm regards,

Copy to: All Chief Executives, all SAIL IRPS and FORSE e-groups

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

21/07/2016

Sub:Extremely inefficient functioning of Raksha TPA

July 21, 2016

Dr. Nilu Mahapatra,

Director (Personnel), SAIL

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

This has reference to the tele-talk Sri Anutosh Maitra, the CEO of Bokaro Steel Plant, had with you yesterday. Further to that I would like to submit that the Raksha TPA appears to be totally non-functional in all area of its operation related to SAIL retirees. 

1. At the end of 3 months and 21 days the Plastic printed I-Card and the Guidebook are yet to be delivered to over 90% of SAIL Mediclaim Scheme members. (It may please be noted that large number of SAIL Retirees are not internet savvy and cannot download or refer to the website. Hence such advice is utopian and providing them the Hard copies are must-sooner the better) 
2. There does not appear to be a Nodal Officer in RakshaTPA. So there is no response to members queries. Its grievance office is not even visible in the form of a response. It has one way communication system.
3. It has no system in place to acknowledge the receipt of Medical Bills submitted to its Branch offices with Ref No. or Case no. 
4. Payment procedure is non-existent. Like there is no time limit for release of payment of OPD or IPD Bills.
5. List of Hospitals for Cashless Treatment is not updated.
6. FORSE's recommendation on adding such Hospitals to IPD/OPD list, where SAIL retirees were taking treatment for couple of years with satisfaction, is also ignored. 
7. In cases endorsed to us  it is observed that RakshaTPA either do not respond to the message sent by SAIL Mediclaim IRPs or their response is not followed up by action -similar to how they treat Retirees communications 

This is based on direct complains received by us through phone, whats App or email trail or copies of email exchange between the individual retirees and SAIL Plant/ Unit IRPs or RakshaTPA's customercare from all locations in the country where our Retirees are settled. 

Our request is that SAIL must do the needful to make Raksha TPA work efficiently and within a time-frame as the Healthcare issues can be deadly and killing if it is not attended to in time. It has happened in the past.

With warm regards,

--

Dr.V.N.Sharma, Chairman 

For & on behalf of 

Federation of Retired SAIL Employees (Regd)

Press Conference at Bokaro 060916

Letter to Labour Minister for Pension revision under EPS-95

Msg from Sri Tata Rao, Hyderabad:

As advised by Chairman FORSE, Dr Sharma, Sri Desai n Tatarao met Union Minister of state for Labour n Employment, Sri Bandaru Dattatreya, at his Residence Office this morning (See Photograph below) to hand over hard copy of email (copy attached) sent to the Minister from Ranchi, with a request to take necessary action so that all SAIL retirees would get full Pension as per judgement given by Kerala HC n supported by SC in cases filed by some Kerala employees.  LM has immediately marked it to his PS in Camp Off Hyd to forward n put up in Delhi Off as the matter involved is policy matter.

A Report to SAIL on Phase II Action Plan

Pl. click on the link http://sailex.blogspot.in/2016/08/a-report-on-forse-action-plan-on-4th.html to see the location-wise brief report alongwith Retirees in Action Pictures.

A Report on FORSE Action Plan on 4th & 5th August

Brief Report from different locations 

Ranchi: 
In front of Ispat Bhawan,(RDCIS Complex), Ranchi
Photographs for Black Badge / Human Chain Demonstration on 4th August 2016 given below
It was raining intermittently throughout the day in Ranchi.
A few SAIL Retirees from other Plants/ Units also participated
Members present exhibited their anger and anguish against SAIL by participating in protest with great enthusiasm and expected SAIL to fulfil the demands at the earliest.

Photographs for Dharna/ Demonstration on 5th August 2016 given below
It was raining continuously throughout the day in Ranchi. Memorandums were handed over to the Heads of Ranchi Units at the end of the day.

Hyderabad & Vijayawada

Human Chain formation in front of BSO HYD.  Despite inclement weather in Hyderabad, a good number of retirees turned up to form Human Chain wearing black badges to convey their protest to Mgmt for latter's mute response to FORSE'S just demands.

 Human Chain formation at BSO VIJAYAWADA.  Though very few Retd SAIL Employees are there at Vijayawada, responding to the call of FORSE, they participated in Human Chain formation wearing black badges in front of BSO Vijayawada to convey their protest against cold response of SAIL Mgmt.

Kolkata 

Dear Dr Sharmajee 

Happy to report our action plan as per directive is on .Before Sail House we assembled with black badge.Did slogan shouting.Due to heavy rains we had come inside the building.Taken number of photos These will be sent today Letter to local management handed over.Apart from slogan shouting letters dt 4th to local mgnt and 5th to be sent to Chairman SAIL also readout and unanimously approved.There were also some speeches by anguished members Chairman Forse kindly note  Additionally I put on full Black dress skg kolkata Mr Nagbhusan do you approve my dress?

S/Sri Nagabhushan, Tatarao and VNSharma approved and appreciated the Black dress demonstration by Sri Ghosh

Report  on 05th Aug 2016 घोष S K: Our action plan for today is successfully accomplished From 12 noon members started assembling There was large gathering .Retirees from BSP DSP RSP ISP BOKARO RDCIS (DR NANDI) and all from CMO staged before Ispat Bhawan At 1 o'clock slogan shouting started and continued for 10 mnts. Memorandum to Chairman was handed over to ED (M) I/C and copy to GM (Pers) I/c. Lots of snap taken Being sent separately We are now dispersing Two reprentatives from RSP being sent to Bokaro as led by Achinta Choudhury Final intimation will be sent to you Regards

Special Report : [१४:५७, ५/८/२०१६] फो घोष S K: In our plan today sec 144 was violated in some way We took some risk but escaped skg Kolkata

VIZAG (BSO & BTSO)

Gate meeting and slogan shouting organised with black ribbons. After slogan shouting meeting taken place in the conference room with BM & RM. Memorandum handed over to BM in BTSO. Similarly in BSO Memorandum given to BM 

SRU Ramgarh

संस, रामगढ़ : पेंशन व मेडिकल सुविधा सहित विभिन्न मांगों को लेकर आंदोलनरत सेल एक्स-इम्पलाइज एसोसिएशन 

url  http://m.jagran.com/jharkhand/ramgarh-14450242.html

संस, रामगढ़ : पेंशन व मेडिकल सुविधा सहित विभिन्न मांगों को लेकर आंदोलनरत सेल एक्स-इम्पलाइज एसोसिएशन ने शुक्रवार को देश स्तरीय कार्यक्रम के तहत मरार, रांची रोड स्थित सेल रिफ्रैट्रीज यूनिट, इफिको के समक्ष रैली निकालकर विरोध-प्रदर्शन किया। इसके बाद सेल के पूर्व अधिकारी व कर्मचारियों ने एसोसिएशन के बैनर तले इफिको के प्रभारी महाप्रबंधक धीरेंद्र कुमार को एक ज्ञापन भी सौंपा। एसोसिएशन के जयंत बोस ने बताया कि सेल के एक लाख 10 हजार सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों को सेल प्रबंधन द्वारा उनके अधिकार से वंचित रखा है। उनलोगों के साथ सेल प्रबंधन सौतेला व्यवहार कर रहा है। एसोसिएशन ने सेल प्रबंधन व सरकार से मांग की है कि एक जनवरी 2007 से सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों को पेंशन देने, मेडिकल की सुविधा प्रदान करने आदि की सुविधा दी जाए। रैली में मुख्य रूप से जयंत बोस, एएन सहाय, सुभाष प्रसाद ¨सह, अनिल कुमार ¨सह, एके श्रीवास्तव, नसीबुल होदा, एनसी दास, डीएन बनर्जी, डीएन गिरी, केके श्रीवास्तव सहित अन्य कर्मचारी मौजूद थे।

SRU Bokaro

The SRU Team accompanied by Sri Ram Agar Singh presented Memorandum after a brief Dharna terminated due to drizzling

Bokaro

Salem

Dharna and Human Chain in SAIL Salem Steel Plant Ex-Employees Welfare Association  

We, the Salem Steel Plant Ex-Employees Welfare Association  conducted Dharna and Human Chain protest in front of Salem Steel Plant Main Gate. In the morning at 10 o clock, more than 30 members assembled in front of Administrative Office, 5A gate to submit the memorandum to SSP Management. But the Personnel Department DGM (P&A) stopped us at 5A Gate and the Management called the police for their help. The local Police Inspector came to 5A Gate.  We explained him about the memorandum to be submitted to the Chief of Personnel.

The Police Inspector took 4 of our Office bearers to the Personnel Department.  We have handed over the memorandum in front of Police Inspector.  After that we have conducted Dharna and Human chain protest peacefully.

Bhadravati

Dear Sharmaji & others,
The Action plan in Bhadravathi on 4th & 5th is well  planned & almost success insplte of heavy rain
On 4th Colony level meetings were held in 8 places  to create awareness among the retirees. Pamphlets were distributed & posters were pasted & interaction made with retirees
On 5th more than 100 retirees assembled in the circle near the main gate of VISL & slogans were shouted nearly 15 minutes. Afterwards myself & our General Secretary sri Mariyappa have spoken about our demands using hand mike. After that rain was started. As per our instruction all most all were having their umbrella. After rain was stopped Human Chain was created covering the entire circle. The vehicles were jamed in all the 4 roads. It taken place nearly 20 minutes. The police were there. Sub Inspecter politely requested me to end the human chain to allow the vehicles. After that it was ended.
Only 5 persons were allowed inside the main gate to submit the memorandum. We have submitted memorandum to the GM P&A. After 21st June agitation some improvements  are made in the local hospital. Any how I can say that our agitation is almost success. Thank you very much for your timely guidance & support. 

With kind regards

JS Nagabhushan

Newspaper clipping from BDVT

Bengluru 

FORSE Vice Chairman, Sri JN Nagabhushan accompanied Sri Rafick and other Retirees to hand over Memorandum to BM, BSO on 9th Aug.2016. After some dicussion on Demands the BM accepted it and agreed to forward the same.