Unfortunate retirements - Just over a day

What happened on 31 December 2005 ? Yeah.. something very important has happened.

1 January 2006 was all the way different from its previous day... Atleast for all Central Government employees. Being an employee on 1 Jan 2006 makes a lot of difference from having been an employee on or before 31 Dec 2005 ( and not being an employee on 1Jan 2006).

Let me put here, my personal views, on the 'injustice' implemented by our Government.

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The Sixth Pay Commission has been so generous to the Central Government Employees. But, equally too, they are so cruel to some of the pensioners.

The retirement benefits ( the amount of money, lumpsum) given to a retiring employee is meant to build a ‘retired life’ for him and his family. The pension is for the maintenance of his and his family’s life. These are the benefits obtained for burning their lives (the whole life) for the Government (society).

An employee retired on 31 December 2005 is not qualified for the retirement benefits as announced by 6PC (although there is a very small increase in the monthly pension, on the principle of ‘one rank one pension’). Had he retired on the next day, 1 January 2006, things would have been very different. He would have got the new terms of retirement, which is far higher than those applicable for 31 December 2005. A day makes so much of difference. The difference is so large that he feels very miserable, when he think of this ONE DAY. People who retired around that period – in 2005- feel so bad, miserable and dejected; just over a few day’s or week’s difference.

The retirement benefits of two persons of the same position and pay ( one retired on 31Dec 2005 and the other on 1Jan 2006) should be almost equal ( atleast comparable in the amount of terminal benefits and subsequent monthly pension). That’s natural justice, I believe. To give an example, when my 010106 friend got 10 lakhs as his gratuity, another one (311205) got just 3.5. This is certainly not fair. It’s not justice.

But the 6PC and the Government has not looked at the implementation in this angle. This is cruel and injustice. I strongly feel that the Government should normalize this huge difference caused by that milestone day. The improved retirement benefits and pension should be applicable to those retired earlier too (pre 2006). The applicability of the benefits may be made in a tapering method. May be, 10% less for every year preceding 2006 (eg. For persons retired in 2005, the terminal benefits may be 90% of what a person retiring on 1Jan 2006 gets). This would atleast bring in some justice to those unfortunate ones.The financial load on the Government by implementing such a justice would not be very high.

I wish, our Government would consider the plight of the retired people, and do a normalization of terminal benefits and pension.

Safety and Power losses : KSEB

The snap here shows the "Meter and main switch board" in a building in our city.
The meter is the latest make 'electronic' meter; a high speed one, as the owner of the building says. . Look at the other elements.
The fuses, switch, the board itself.. must be senior citizens among them. And the wiring !
Our KSEB is not aware of power losses or safety ? I think 'YES'.

The single slipper

The snap shows the front entry to a 'general' shop in the city. The shop owner hints at removing your foot wear, before entry to the shop.
Last day, when I reached this shop, this is what I saw. Just one slipper (not the pair, as usual). How can this be ? What's wrong here ?
If you have an answer, please post them.

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Mad coconut trees

Coconut trees can grow mad ! Look at these trees. Unusual !

"Puttu" - the best breakfast item

A short news item in a magazine says that the American ‘Travel and Leisure’ monthly had chosen our “puttu” (പുട്ട് ) as the best breakfast item ! Must be true … because puttu is my most preferred breakfast for the last many years !

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Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

I am quite a common man. I like animals, but don’t love them. I am a non-vegetarian. But I do never kill an animal. I am scared to think of that. When I eat my chicken fry, I never count or think about the chickens. May be that I am cruel, though not killing. May be all non-vegetarians are cruel ! But now I feel sad and bad.

There are many chicken shops in my City. Invariably, all these shops show the chicken in the grilled containers, put packed. Chickens are killed straight in their front.. they see how their fellow lives are being taken away… in a very crude and cruel manner. In some shops, the chickens are hung upside down.. may be even for the whole day… awaiting their turn of death. Why are we so cruel to the chickens ? They are being killed right in front of the buyer. I know, there are laws governing the chicken management .. and prevention of cruelty to animals. Why are these not applicable here ? Why are my fellow men so cruel ? I know, I being a chicken-eater, is the reason for their cruelty. NO.. we must have a different way of doing these things.. immediately.

Another point I have here is about the dirty environment in which the chicken shops operate. Any chicken shop is a dirty and nasty place. It smells horrible.. you can’t stay near there for a minute. These dirty stinky places, however , are not a deterrent to the chicken eaters, it looks.

Indian Space Traveller

Anthanaut or Indianaut ?
Last day news papers report that the ‘ignited minds’ of Trivandrum were quizzing the Chairman, ISRO, on Indian space activities (ISRO). To a question “What would you call an Indian Space traveler ?’, Chairman, ISRO said that its going to be a students level competition to suggest a suitable name.
To the readers of my earlier posts here, the answer is already known. I had suggested a name ( I think that’s very appropriate !) – “Anthanaut’. May be I can propose some more names…
Indonaut
Indianaut
Akashnaut
Gaganachary
Akashyathri ....... And so on…

But I feel Anthanaut is the right one !! Do you ?

Someone without a Mobile phone ?

Mobile phones have penetrated deep down to the 'really BPL' classes in this City. Almost all daily wage workers (casual workers) in the construction sector too has a 'Mobile' with them. The fisher-women (selling fish, on the way-side) too has a color phone. Tomorrow, I am sure, the beggars in the street would have one. I'll be keen to watch them talking ! (However, I wish noone begs in this world ).

But what I wish to show you now, is the following snap, taken from our local thattukada. The youngster, making the tea, is talking over his mobile, as he does a tea !

The bulging purses

The bulging purses : The purses of over 5 million Central Government employees are quite heavy and bulging out now. There’s lot of money with them, with the wind fall gains following the 6PC implementation.
As in last time (in 1997), most of these huge amounts (received as arrears) will land up in the consumer durables market. That’s exactly why most of those companies are vigorously in the market with attractive schemes and offers ( Navaraathri is just another added reason).

Experts on Personal Finances have a piece of advice to these new millionaires - “Caution …. before spending all your money on cars, TVs, and PCs; keep in mind the future value of money”.
Here are the important DOs and DON’Ts, (on how to spend your arrear amounts), these Experts suggest.

1. Keep 3 months (household) expenses aside for contingencies.
2. Pay-off Credit Card dues, and personal loans (if any, in full).
3. Prepay Home Loans (if any), as much as possible.
4. Take a Medical Insurance (if not covered by other schemes).
5. Make a Mutual Fund deposit (may consider the Tax gains too).
6. Please don't forget a sacred act .. CHARITY. Contribute your might.

DO NOT park your money in Fixed deposits (or in SB accounts) , as you will most probably end up in a loss, accounting for inflation.

Regarding the increased monthly salary, experts suggest that only a part of your raise be used for household expenses. The balance amount (of your increased salary) should be put in a recurring deposit or SIP into a suitable Mutual Fund.

Retired Employees also would get their revised increased pension. The arrears and the increased monthly pension should be dealt carefully and wisely ( Remember, hard times are ahead, it looks ). You can’t expect any raise in your pension , in the near future (for another 10 years !).
Retired persons should consider regular expenses (going up always) , contingencies (any time guest, uninvited !) and growth of capital (to beat inflation).

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Rice and rice

“Rice arrived”. I was scanning through the news paper last day.
I told my wife, ‘Thank God, rice has come....May be the prices would come down (atleast by a bit !)…. Must be from Andhra ( afterall, who else makes it ! … Our Government is now very smart… they must be controlling the price rise of our dear rice... Now the Godowns must be full..“

Hearing a loud laugh, I raised my eye-brows at her… “Ayyo…its not our ‘ari’… it’s Condolessa Rice from America” … and she laughed over again.. I just continued my browsing.

Backward classes and Backward Government.

Income ceiling for creamy layer raised. Yet another investment on votes, by our Government !

Government on last Friday raised the income ceiling for the creamy layer, from 2.5 lakhs to 4.5 lakhs annually. They say, it is to cover more OBC under the reservation category.

I hate to comment on such biased actions and misuse of power for political gains. However, as I am feeling very bad about this, let me put a few words.

Who is backward ? Is a person (family) earning Rs.20,000/- a month backward ? Now with the raise, persons earning about Rs. 40,000/- month also is backward !

I can’t digest this. I am sure these people are no way backward. Instead, they are very rich ! Look at the poor who finds it difficult to have a one time meal a day.

Is this the way to bring about Secularism or Social and economic equality ? Is it an action by a Secular Govt ? I doubt. This action is solely to favor a few communal groups , aimed at their votes. The decision makers are certainly “backward” in their intelligence, vision and secular thoughts.

Give reservations to the real financially backward. Not for such wealthy people. That’s injustice. This injustice would lead to many more social issues.

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Mamata - the most Negativist of all times

I am sure, my audience would have read about my posts on Nano and the great Mamata. Having finished the Singur Nano, Mamata must be safe in her den, licking the blood stains around her 'drunken face'. Let me quote today's editorial in "The Hindu".

" Given these facts, political history will judge Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress to be the most irresponsible and negativist legislative opposition in any State".
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Nano, Singur, Mamata, and Bengal

I have many Bengali friends. They are so nice and lovely persons. They are polite, reasonable and respectful. But I am quite sad about Bengal today.

A single lady could (and did) destroy the future of the Bengal youth.That's too bad. Why do you, my Bengali brothers and sisters, allow this ? Everyone in Bengal is sorry for the 'Nano' episode. The lone winner is 'Mamata'.
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Mobile phones : Nokia

There are many brands of Mobile phones available here. And, now there are many unbranded ones too - made in China. But I understand that these Chinese phones are comparable or better than many of the branded ones like Nokia. But they are available here at a fraction of the cost of Nokias.

What's wrong ? Why are these Chinese phones so cheap ? They are certainly good phones too !
Why are the brandeds (like Nokia) so costly? They are not that far superior to the Chinese ones !

What I think is that companies like Nokia are squeezing the Indian consumers. That's very bad, and should not be permitted. I suggest, all should raise a voice against this. Or, the best thing is to boycott Nokia (and other such high and unjustified priced phones) . I am ready to throw off my Nokia 6233 (a good for nothing phone, for its high price tag ), for a cheap Chinese phone.
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Cost to Government : 4 times the salary on paper

I have here an article taken from indiainfo.com, regarding the Sixth Pay Commission and a study on 'Cost to Government' by XLRI, Jamshedpur.

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Cost to Government : 4 times the salary on paper.

A bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi is a dream for most corporate honchos. Not only because of the prohibitive costs but also because there's simply no space available in the heart of 'official' India. So try putting a cost to staying in a house on, say, Shahjahan Road, and the value of 'intangibles' that automatically come with a government job becomes strikingly real.

As a first, the Sixth Central Pay Commission asked XLRI Jamshedpur to do a comprehensive study of 'Cost to Government', a near-equivalent of 'Cost to Company' (CTC), a concept that caught the fancy of a globalizing India Inc after the mid-1990s.

The results of the XLRI study clearly indicated that a simplistic, straitjacketed comparison between government and private sector compensation packages was difficult because of all the invisible benefits that follow when a person works for the state.

The show-stealer, if at all the two worlds were to be compared, was job security or the no-easy-exit rule followed by the government against the hire-and-fire policy of the private sector where even the value of the employee is liable to change every year.

The XLRI team of Professors R K Premarajan, E M Rao and L Gurunathan felt the study would help "clear the employees' misconceptions about the perceived external inequity". The team circulated questionnaires, held discussions with officials and made an exhaustive study of PSUs as well as the private sector before arriving at the conclusions.

The CTG — or total out-go of the government per civilian employee — works out to more than three times the salary s/he gets. It gets better in the railways, possibly the world's biggest single employer, where each staffer's CTG is 3.75 times the salary. In the Armed Forces, it climbs to four times.

"Pay is a relative concept and how well an organization is paying depends to a large extent on the angle of vision of the vision of the employees and the selective comparisons they make," says the report, indicating that a government job should be understood in its entirety and knee-jerk reactions are often partial and uninformed.

The study puts 'returns' from a job into two categories. The first is 'transactional returns', which are perennial and include basic pay, DA, house rent allowance, conveyance and a whole lot of intangibles — housing, free passes, orderlies and telephones, among others. Then come 'relational returns' that refer to benefits or values like self-esteem, self-satisfaction, job challenge, working for a nobler cause, serving the nation and, of course, job security.

"The highest payer may offer little or no relational returns," says the study. Work-life imbalances are nothing new in the private sector where the focus is only on task accomplishment. CTC doesn't take into account the negative aspects of a job and the concept often suffers from one-sided vision. According to the professors, an inflation-indexed pension, along with gratuity and leave encashment benefits, constitutes the biggest draw for a government job. A sizeable 40% of the pension can be commuted and restored to the employee after 15 years of retirement, when s/he would probably need the money most.

There's also house building advance, up to a maximum of Rs 7.5 lakh, where the principal amount can be paid back in 180 EMIs, followed by simple interest payable in 60 more EMIs. This is a benefit any private sector employee would envy.

Healthcare is another perk, with the government incurring Rs 538 per employee every month for 33 years. And, this does not change with change of employer, as is often the case in the private sector. The group insurance component is also attractive. For a cover of Rs 1.2 lakh, the market rate premium would be Rs 249 per month but a government employee has to pay only Rs 36 and the rest (Rs 217) is part of CTG. A pre-pay commission estimate suggests that in a metro like Delhi, the government's cost on a senior officer would be to the tune of Rs 62,385 every month, although his take-home salary is much lower.

Family passes in the railways is a benefit most folks covet. A senior railway official uses 9,364 passes during his 33-year career, each trip averaging 1,000 km. The facility continues post-retirement. A similar lifelong benefit enjoyed by defense personnel is that of tax-free canteens, besides 90 days' annual leave, above the normal 60 days for others.

The main reason why companies resort to CTC calculations, the study points out, is that a consolidated amount would force them to pay 12% provident fund. The employees' need to have more cash in hand and scope for tax concessions through allowances are the other reasons. These factors, however, do not drive the government because it is not constrained by demand-supply considerations.

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Grand Father 'Spread Sheets'

If I say "Spread Sheet", immediately you'll lock on to MS-Excel. The word SpreadSheet itself is mostly unknown to the new generation.
Some of you may remember our grand old "Lotus 1-2-3", the Spread Sheet package (under MS-DOS) during the 1980s. LOTUS 1-2-3 was the king of all PC applications ( I won't forget the WordStar and DBase, siblings of Lotus 123) ! But some of you may remember the "VisiCalc", the pioneer in SpreadSheet packages. But how many of you are aware that SpreadSheet packages existed even before VisiCalc ? You may, if you were familiar with Home Computers, and the MSX versions of them.
I've below, the snaps of a SpreadSheet package ( as a ROM crtridge), for use with MSX version Home Computers (Not the Sinclair Spectrum s ! ).

Sixth Pay Commission Recommendations and Implementation

6PC recommendations and implementation.

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The sixth pay commission recommendations have been implemented with some positive (for the employees) revisions. The average pay hike (all included) is 21 %, and with effect from 1-1-2006. The pay arrears also are being paid (40% this year and 60% next year). Over 5 million government employees are benefited by this.

Reports say that , ten years ago, when the fifth pay commission was implemented, it gave rise to a heavy debt burden on the Government. Then, the World Bank , commented that “this is the single-largest adverse shock” to government finances and Indian economy. This resulted in soaring Budget deficits for the Central and State Governments. The extra financial load was over 9% of the non-plan revenue expenditure.

This was a major concern when the 6^th PC was setup. However, Government is not feeling any brunt now, for having implemented the recommendations (with upward revisions included). The economy has changed over the last few years, and Government budgets are in much better shape as compared to those 90s. Government is in a position to pay high to its employees. With the present hike , the load is about 3.3% of the budgeted non-plan revenue expenditure only. That means , its quite comfortable for the Government to pay the “huge” salaries to its employees.

Pay Commission did not forget the poor taxpayers and the ‘aam admi’. They did say that improving the system efficiency is a must. That’s why they recommended many Administrative reforms. Though the Government was keen to implement the pay revisions, nothing seems to be taken up towards any administrative reforms.

The common man is almost sure that higher wages won’t result in any improvement in efficiency. Studies show that the Govt employees themselves don’t believe that higher pay would result any improvement at all. So, something different should be done for the reforms. For the ‘aam aadmi’, the huge pay hike would result in ‘higher disparity’ between the common man and the ‘blessed babus’. The gap widens, without any benefits to the common man and the tax payers.

Another comment in the media says that the whole lot of money paid (windfall gains !) to the employees would result in a boost for the ‘home improvement’ and ‘consumer durables’ sectors. And probably, that’s the only positive change that brings to the public at large. A media report says : “ While pay revisions are necessary, it is important to raise the perception in the society that the Government is an asset, not a constraint, towards a better future”.

Mercy Killing

I've here a set of snaps showing you the killing process. I am sad ... I'm not going to tell you any more ... Watch them .. and if you feel sorrow... please put your comments !

Mercy killing - Part 2

Here is the second part of the mercy killing. Please....

Mercy killing of a Coconut Tree - Part1

I hope you remember my earlier posts on my beloved 'Muthu', the coconut tree. Muthu was suffering from an infection of "thanduthurappan vandu", and was sinking over the last few months. as suggested by the local experts, and having realised that 'Muthu' can't survive the infection, I decided to give her a mercy killing. Our local man, came last day (Wednesday) and cut her down.
I wanted to show you how she was .... ! ... and ...

Promises - for the Senior Citizens

International Day of Older Persons (October 1) &

Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.

On the day of the 'Older persons', our State Government had presented their deep concern over the older people. The state authorities highlight that the Demographic proportion of senior citizens in Kerala poses fresh challenges for the State. There are 31.5 Lakh Senior Citizens in the State.

Major issues here are : Majority are widows, poverty, gender inequality, and lack of security. Most serious being the “lack of family support”.

Here are a few proposals / offers by the Minister for Health and Social Welfare (Govt of Kerala) :

* Government had drawn up a plan to equip District Hospitals and Geriatirc Care Centres and separate out-patient counters for the Senior Citizens.

** These facilities would be extended to Taluk Hospitals and Medical College Hospitals in due course.

*** District level Tribunals would be set up to enforce MWP&SC Act.

**** Domestic Violence Act would be invoked to prevent atrocities against Senior Citizens.

***** A project to improve the infrastructural facilities in old age homes being workedout.

****** Free eye camps, surgery and spectacles; awareness camps for the inmates of the OldAge homes, would be organised.

******* The Social Security Mission, announced by the Govt, would take care of the needs of the elderly people also.

I am optimistic. Let's all pray for the good of all !

Astronaut, Cosmonaut, Spationaut, Taikonaut, and Anthanaut

Do you know who is an ‘Anthanaut’ ? If not, just check whether you know the following terms.
Astronaut, Cosmonaut, Spationaut, and Taikonaut.

Got it ? Now, you may know. Space travelers from America, Russia, France, and China, are respectively called the above names. But how about ‘Anthanaut’ ?

For us in India, ‘Anthariksh’ means Space. So, the right name for a space traveler from India would be ‘Anthanaut’ (or Antharnaut ? ). ‘Indianaut’ or ‘Bharanaut’, if someone coins, doesn’t sound good !

Please check who is the first ‘Anthanaut’ ! May be that’s too early !!

Bridging the iPhones with PCs

You are aware that iPhone is not just a Mobile Phone. It’s more of a Business Tool. It has many advanced capabilities, as of a PC. Now, a software company “Softalk’ has brought out a spreadsheet package for the iPhone. Called “SpreadSheet”, it can do similar to the MS-Excel, and upload the files. It’s fully compatible to MS-Excel (Version 2003 and above). iPhone Spreadsheet costs just $8, downloadable.

We can expect many more such packages… bridging the iPhones with PCs..