According to a statement issued by the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, the Minister of Finance informed the delegation that their demands would be considered and dealt with in a sympathetic manner. File |Photo Credit: PTI
A delegation of EPS-95 pensioners met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday (January 10, 2025) to press for the long-standing issue of providing a minimum monthly pension of ₱7,500 along with Dearness Allowance (DA). Ta.
As per the EPS-95 or Employee Pension Scheme 1995 administered by the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), a retirement fund body, the current minimum monthly pension is ₹1,000.
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According to a statement issued by the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, the Minister of Finance informed the delegation that their demands would be considered and addressed in a sympathetic manner.
Commander Ashok Raut, National Chairman of the commission, highlighted the plight of over 78 million pensioners belonging to central and state government PSUs, private organizations and factories across the country.
Pensioners have been campaigning for over seven to eight years for an increase in the minimum pension amount from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,500, as well as DA and free healthcare for both pensioners and their spouses.
“Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the demands of pensioners will be considered with great sympathy. Although this assurance gives us hope, the government has announced that it will We must take decisive action to announce ₹7,500 as pension. Anything less will not provide the dignity that our senior citizens deserve,” Commander Raut said.
He criticized calls by some labor groups to reduce the minimum pension by £5,000, saying it was inadequate and unfair to pensioners’ basic needs.
He stressed that Rs 7,500 is the minimum amount needed for a dignified life.
Despite the government announcing a minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000 in 2014, more than 36.6 million pensioners are still receiving less than this amount, the group claimed.
issued – January 11, 2025 11:12 AM IST
