Labour Minister assures help to pensioners demanding pension hike

Union labour minister Santosh Gangwar met a delegation of EPS-95 pensioners on Wednesday and promised to discuss their demand of penison hike with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Pensioners, between the age of 60 and 80 years, have been staging an indefinite hunger strike at the EPFO headquarters in New Delhi since Tuesday over demands of a hike in their pensions.

"Our delegation met with Minister Gangwar and demanded that he should forward the duly recommended proposal for enhancement in minimum pension to Rs 7,500 with DA and withdraw EPFO interim advisory of May 31, 2017, for a higher pension on actual salary. The Labour Minister has assured that the government will take every possible step to help the pensioners," said Commander Ashok Raut, President of EPF Rashtriya Sangharsh Samiti.

Nearly 60 lakh EPS-95 pensioners, who are receiving pensions in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 2,500, are protesting against the low pension. On December 4, thousands of such pensioners formed a human chain in front of Labour Ministry office to press for their demand.

The pensioners are demanding Rs 7,500 along with DA according to the recommendations of Koshiyari Committee. The panel had stated that the minimum monthly pension must be increased to Rs 3,000, plus DA in 2013. The employees who were not brought under the ambit of EPS-95 must be given a monthly pension of Rs 5,000.