New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) Thousands of pensioners coveredunder the EPF-95 scheme staged a march here today demandingthat the minimum monthly pension be raised to Rs 7,500.
The amount under the scheme, run by the Employees'Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), is Rs 1,000 at present.
"Today pensioners protested from Ramlila Maidan to JantarMantar for their honour and right. Thousands of Protestersfrom 22 states voiced their right to pension...," said astatement All-India EPS-95 Pensioners Sangharsh Samiti.
The Samiti's National Convener Ashok Raut said: "If theydonÂ’t fulfil our demands, we will go and talk to everyMinister, MP, and MLA and will make it a national agitation asretired employees get less than Rs 2,500 monthly pension whichis not enough to meet their daily needs.
"So it is the matter of 17 crore people of unorganisedsector and their future."The statement said that after prolonged discussions inParliament, the labour minister announced setting up ofanother expert committee on the subject but the delay indecision is hampering livelihood of 60 lakhs old age families.
The pensioners have demanded Rs 7,500 as a basic pensionplus DA (dearness allowance) under Employees Pension Scheme1995 (EPF-95).
They said in their memorandum that until this demand isfulfilled, Rs 5,000 plus DA be granted as an interim reliefconsidering inflation since the Koshiyari Committeerecommendations (Rs 3,000 or more plus DA) were made, andprovide Free Medical facilities to all EPS-95 pensioners andtheir spouses. PTI KKSSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.