As all EPS 95 pensioners are aware that the pension increase under EPS 95 is being demanded by all EPS 95 pensioners, the pension increase has not been done yet and efforts are on to increase the EPS 95 pension. The same is being voiced by pensioners. Today, in this article, one such respected EPS 95 pensioners, whose name is Venugopalan T, is going to know about the voice raised by them.
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He Said, I am also incidentally an EPF pensioner leaving service at the age of 50 after rendering 20 years service from a central PSU and even 20 years after my voluntary retirement drawing a paltry rs.831 per month in spite of minimum 1000 fixed.
Fortunately, I am not depending on my EPF pension as I have income from other sources and my profession. But I observe that there are several employees left my organization up to 2003 due to several reasons including retirement drawing such paltry pension up to 1000 per month who are struggling their life to make both ends meet having spent their retirement benefits & gratuity and pension amounts for the expenses of their house construction, children education/marriage or medical expenses of self, spouse or other family members..They are not covered by any ESI or other medical facility of the CPSUs introduced recently for those retired from 2007 and some invested their benefits in some business but were unsuccessful.
The
ex-employees are unorganized spread all over India. The persons in
Kerala state where I belong are also unorganized and we are not members
of any organization for epf pensioners.
I also find that the problem
of persons left service before 2003 and those between 2003 to 2014 and
those after 2014 are different as also employees from exempted
establishments (like ours) and others to be dealt with separately.
Some of the affected persons are now super senior citizens reaching the age of 80 and others are also not physically fit for tough physical agitation.
What has demanded our category is a decent pension of a minimum of 3000 per month with DA enhancing the present minimum pension of 1000 notwithstanding a general demand of minimum 7500 pension +DA. Those retired between 2003 - 2014 should get pension on actual salary last drawn with a minimum pension.
This suggestion is based on the presumption that salary was hiked generally during this period. Those after 2014 should be able to opt to contribute to an actual salary above 15000 and get a decent pension in comparison with govt employees and other selected banks, public sectors.
In my state of Kerala social welfare pension to hapless persons and senior citizens are now raised to 1400 per month. I understand the same in some other states is around 2000.
So is it not fair enough to fix our epf minimum pension to 3000 if we are not drawing any either pension since I understand that about 5 lakh crore rupees is available in epf fund which can be utilized for this and there are no claimants in many accounts. Kerala high court has given verdicts in all cases that have come.
Before them to pay pension on actual salary including those from exempted establishments and some organizations have implemented it subject to the result of the supreme court verdict since EPFO and central govt has challenged the favorable orders of SC by reviews and the matter will be heard in open court only after normalcy restored.
I have seen that some MPs have taken up the matter sincerely including Premachandran from Kerala giving lead role. But still, I doubt they are not abreast of problems of all sectors of pensioners although they have addressed certain issues.
I hope and pray someone will take effective leadership to find a positive time-bound solution to the problem. - Adv. venugopalan T Kochi
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