The EPS95 National Agitation Committee, representing the pensioners, has called for a nationwide protest on August 5. If the government fails to meet their demands for a minimum monthly pension of Rs 7,500 under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) and other benefits, thousands of pensioners covered under EPS-95 will gather at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, demanding long-pending pension reforms.
Currently, the minimum pension under the EPS stands at Rs 1,000 per month. Administered by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), this amount was enforced on September 1, 2014.
According to a press release issued by the committee, the demonstration has been called after years of representations, peaceful protests, and appeals to the government have failed to bring any meaningful policy decision.
The committee stated that if the government continues to ignore their demands, self-immolation would be their “last resort.”
EPS95 National Agitation Committee's Demands:
As per the statement, the committee's key demands include:
- Raising the minimum monthly pension to Rs 7,500,
- Providing Dearness Allowance (DA),
- Extending free medical facilities to pensioners and their spouses, and
- Ensuring that eligible retirees receive benefits of higher pension in accordance with Supreme Court judgments.
Making their demands, the committee said that these are workers “who devoted decades of service to the country's industrial and economic growth” and “deserve a retirement income that ensures financial security and a dignified life”.
“The demand for a Rs 7,500 minimum pension is not for special treatment but for a basic standard of social security,” the statement added.
Pension ‘Grossly Inadequate' In Today's Economic Conditions
National president of the committee Commander Ashok Raut, in a conversation with news agency PTI, said that close to 81 lakh pensioners under the EPS-95 scheme have been pursuing these demands for over a decade. “Despite repeated assurances from the government, no concrete action has been taken,” he said.
Highlighting the financial hardships faced by retirees, Raut said a large number of EPS95 beneficiaries receive an average monthly pension of about Rs 1,171, an amount the committee believes is “grossly inadequate in today's economic conditions.”
What Has Been The Government's Response To Demands?
Acknowledging the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee's demands in Parliament, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on July 20 said that although several stakeholders have requested a pension increase, no decision has been made on the matter yet.
“Representations have been received from various stakeholders, including trade unions and public representatives, to increase the minimum pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995, from the existing Rs 1,000 per month. The Government is providing a minimum pension of Rs.1,000 per month to pensioners under the EPS, 1995 through budgetary support, which is in addition to the budgetary support of 1.16 per cent of wages provided annually towards EPS to Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO),” Karandlaje said.
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Asked when the Centre expects to take a final decision on the demand concerning lakhs of elderly pensioners, the minister said the government remains committed to strengthening social security coverage for EPFO members, but any decision will have to take into account the sustainability of the pension fund and future liabilities.
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