A meeting of the All Odisha EPF Pensioners’ Association was held here on Monday to discuss threadbare the myriad problems of the EPF pensioners in the State and strategies to be initiated for effective and employee-centric collective bargaining in the matter.
Among other things, the association placed three core demands for discussion which include payment of minimum pension of Rs 9,000 per month with DA at the existing rate; hike in pension in the light of the directives of the Supreme Court; inclusion of all the EPF pensioners (Senior Citizens) under the “Ayshuman Bharat Yojana” and provision of free healthcare/medical treatment to them.
Later, the association along with the members of different trade union organisations organised a silent token protest for two hours in front of the local EPF office here on Monday to press their demands. Hundreds of EPF pensioners and senior citizens joined the token protest.
Notably, the Union Government had implemented EPF-1995 on 16.11.1995 with the sole objective to provide both social and fiscal security to those employees who get superannuated from their service under semi Government and private organisations in the country. Even after the lapse of long 25 years from the date of implementation of the scheme, more than 66 lakh EPF pensioners in the country are currently deprived of social security and struggling for their livelihood and wellbeing, the association alleged.
It is quite unfortunate that, the EPF pensioners in the country though contributed significantly to the nation building at par with other stakeholders, but they are treated differently.
This is evident from the fact that, employees those who get retired under both State and Central Government are getting their minimum monthly pension of Rs 9,000 along with DA to compensate the price rise and consequent inflation with effect from 2016, where as 66 lakh EPF pensioners who retired from semi Government and private organisations are deprived of the same privilege violating the principles of natural justice, the association pointed out. On the other hand, the SC in its verdict delivered in October 2016 had clearly issued directives to pay pension to all the EPF pensioners based on their last pay. Based on this directive, several State Governments including the Government of Kerala though have already implemented the order, but the Odisha Government is yet to implement the same for the EPF pensioners which is deplorable, the association alleged.