Subject:- A humble request to alleviate the problems and grievances of the 95 retired pensioners.
I, Dada Tukaram Zode, 67 years old, a retired employee of Maharashtra State Power Generation Company and an activist of EPS 95 Retired Pensioners Association, Nagpur I have never been an active member or member of the Sangh, but I already have respect for the Sangh and a good opinion of the Sangh's work. So, when we think about the plight of the country's nearly 68 lakh EPS 95 retirees and who can tell you about the Government of India, we realize that you are right and capable, and so I dare to write to you. I humbly request you to pay attention to this and resolve their issues. Here is a brief information about this.
A) In 1995, the Government of India introduced the Revised Employees Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95), abolishing the Employees' Family Pension Scheme 1971, which was for industrial workers. Since the benefits of the scheme or the pension were very low, the scheme was opposed all over the country. Lawsuits were filed against the scheme across the country. All these cases were transferred in the Supreme Court and heard together. The scheme is a very good welfare scheme of the Government of India and protects the social, economic and health of the employees in old age, the Supreme Court ruled in 2003, declaring the scheme to be within the framework of the Constitution. (M / s Otis Elevator Employees Union v / s Union of India).
In order to reduce the initial opposition to the scheme, the government made some amendments to the scheme in 1996. One of them is full pay pension under section 11 (3). However, this provision has not been properly publicized by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation and following the aforesaid Supreme Court decision of 2003, the last date for retirement on full pay under Section 11 (3) has been fixed as 31-12-2004, giving employees the opportunity to retire on full pay as per this provision. The employees / retirees went to court and the High Court and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the employees. On 4-10-2016, In the RC Gupta v. Provident Fund Organisation case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the employees and paved the way for the pensioners to get pension on full pay. However, the Supreme Court's decision has not yet been implemented by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation and the Central Government.
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Center in 2014, the Center abolished the full pay concession under Section 11 (3) of the EPS 95 Pension Scheme and made other changes against the interests of the employees. The Kerala High Court ruled that the change was illegal and canceled it on 12-10-2018. The decision of the Kerala High Court was also upheld by the Supreme Court and the appeal of the Employees provident fund Organization was rejected on 1-04-2019. But without implementing this decision of the Supreme Court, the Central Government and the Provident Fund Association have filed various cases in the Supreme Court and deprived the pensioners of their rightful pension.
Thus the Bharatiya Janata Party does not implement the decision of the High Court and the Supreme Court in favor of the employees and retirees. Not only this, an attempt is being made to mislead the Supreme Court by filing an appeal in the Supreme Court and presenting false information in the court. It is a matter of great regret and shame that the country's Advocate General makes false statements in this regard in the Supreme Court. Elderly retirees are being literally harassed in the last days of their lives.
B) The second point is that the BJP leaders have cheated the retired pay holders which is highly reprehensible. Here is the information about it.
Recommendations of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari Samiti
Before 2014, many pensioners used to get a monthly pension of Rs.200-300 / -. The age of retirees who retired between 2000-2001 is now around 80 years. In the case of these people, they were getting very low pensions as their pensionable salary and pensionable service were very low. Considering the dire situation of these pensioners, the Leader of the Opposition (Bharatiya Janata Party) Shri Prakash Javadekar, the then MP, filed a petition in the Rajya Sabha. The petition was filed by Mr. Javadekar. The committee was set up under the chairmanship of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, the then MP of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the current Governor of Maharashtra. The petitioner demanded that the pension should be increased to a minimum of Rs 3,000 / - and that it should be linked to the price index as the pensioners of are getting very low pensions. The petition was granted and the Bhagat Singh Koshiyari Committee fixed the minimum pension at Rs. 3000 / - linked with dearness allowance. The Committee in its report also made suggestions regarding the provisions and feasibility of the recommendations.
Then the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Petitioner (Bharatiya Janata Party leader) with a minimum of Rs. 3000 / - pension was strongly demanded. The Congress government at the Center has fixed a minimum pension of Rs.1000 / -. But the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand was that the recommendations of the Bhagat Singh Koshiyari Committee should be implemented. Then in 2014 the Congress government went and the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to the Center.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, BJP leaders had promised during the election that if their government came to power, they would implement the recommendations of the Bhagat Singh Koshiari Committee within 90 days, increase the minimum pension to Rs 3,000 / - and pay dearness allowance.
Honorable Nitin Gadkari held meetings of retired employees at Nagpur, Hon'ble Javadekar and Hon. Hansraj Ahir, however, held meetings of retired employees at various places and assured the retired employees that the recommendations of the Bhagat Singh Koshiyari Committee would be implemented within 90 days if elected and the BJP government at the Center. Believing in this assurance, the retired pensioners campaigned for the BJP leaders, voted for them and helped the BJP leaders to get elected and the BJP government came to power at the Center. But after coming to power, the BJP leaders completely forgot their election promises.
Now, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has been in power for the last seven years, but they have not implemented the recommendations of the Bhagat Singh Koshyari Committee and have not increased the pension by a single penny. The petition was filed by Mr. Prakash Javadekar, he had the same demands, and he has been a Union Minister in the Government of India for the last seven years, but, he does not say a word about EPS-95 pension. It is very unfortunate that even Honourable Nitin Gadkari raises his hand and gives such promises in the elections.
It was never expected that the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, formed under the guise of Sangh, would deceive and defraud the elderly retirees. If the ideal laid down by Lord Ramchandra and the teachings of the Sangh are being trampled on, then how can the expectations of the people be fulfilled ? It is certainly not admirable that the political leaders formed under the guise of Sangh deceive the masses and threaten the elderly. So, we humbly request you to consider this matter sympathetically with the elderly and poor retirees and address their grievances.
Also, the BJP government at the Center should give the elderly retirees their due rights and not take any action against them. Many senior retirees do not get even Rs.1000 a month and are living without adequate food, water and medicine. Instead of helping such people in the last days of their lives, it is indecent for the government to create obstacles in the way of pensioners. We, therefore, humbly request that the elderly poor pensioners be given the right advice by giving proper advice to the concerned in this regard.Thank you.
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If the EPS pension is not increased,the EPS members should not caste their vote either in parliamentary or Assembly elections,thereby give a fitest reply for the negative attitude towars elderly pensioners.
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