Govt misleading pensioners over granting aid: EPCC

Nagpur: The Employees’ Pension (EPS-95) Coordination Committee (EPCC) has charged the central government with misleading over 65 lakh pensioners by allegedly making a false declaration of providing an aid of Rs973 crore to them.
The aggrieved pensioners claimed that though the news was published across leading media on June 2, none of them have received any amount till date. “As per the media reports, the government had declared to help aggrieved pensioners who were receiving a negligible pension ranging from Rs4 to Rs500. It is rubbing salt on wounds of lakhs of pensioners who are struggling for survival due to their meagre pension,” said EPCC general secretary Prakash Pathak.
Reminding the government of its “assurance” made on September 1, 2014, to allocate Rs868 crore in budget every year for those earning meagre pension as per International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, the EPCC claimed there has been progress after that.
“Union minister Prakash Javadekar had assured the EPCC delegation that pension of Rs3,000 would be given as an interim relief to pensioners. For past six years since 2014, we are getting a minimum pension of Rs1,000 only. Even in this year’s budget, the EPS-95 pensioners didn’t get any relief, despite assurances,” said Pathak.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar and chief provident fund commissioner, the EPCC demanded the government to take necessary action as per the recommendations of Bhagat Singh Koshyari Committee.
Last month, EPCC rushed a letter to the PM after Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) filed a review petition in the Supreme Court. They appealed to him to direct the Government of India to withdraw the review petition challenging verdicts of several high courts granting them enhanced pension.
According to Pathak, the issue was related to 65 lakhs pensioners and 17.2 crore existing working employees. “The centre announced in the Parliament in 2017 and 2018 that the problems of the EPS-95 pensioners will be resolved after the SC’s decision,” he said.
“The labour ministry also gave assurance in this regard. But till date, none of the assurances is fulfilled. Moreover, during declaration of recent packages for different sectors by the government for fighting Covid-19 pandemic, they totally forgot the pensioners,” he said.
(With inputs from Manshika Vaikkath)