Chief Minister Raman Singh felicitated pensioners in the nation-wide pensioner’s felicitation programme organised by Employees Provident Fund Association (EPFA) here on Tuesday.
For the first time under Employees Pension Scheme, Singh gave away pension cheques of minimum amount Rs 1000 along with shawl and shreephal to the pensioners. Nearly 35,065 pensioners in the State have been benefited by the hiked amount of minimum pension under Central Government’s monthly pension scheme.
The programme was held by Union Ministry of labour and Employment Vishnudev Sai. As special guests of the programme, Rajya Sabha member Bhushanlal Jangade, MlA Satyanarayan Sharma and RMC Mayor Kiranmayee Nayak were also present. As chief guest of the programme, Singh said that Central Government has taken an important decision in the larger interest of labourers by increasing the monthly pension amount, within the first 100 days of its tenure.
The Central government has made budget provision of nearly Rs 1200 crore for this purpose. The Chief Minister expressed pleasure on implementation of this scheme and has considered it to be the moment of pride.
Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only increased the amount of honour fund for labourers but have also elevated them to a respectable position in society. ‘The pension will be transferred online into the accounts of pensioners without any delay and they will also be informed about the same on their mobile number through text message’, he said.
Singh said that this scheme has brought joy to the lives of a large number of pensioners, who have worked as labourers in beedi, rice-mills, pulse mills, sponge iron and other factories. While presiding over the programme, Union Minister of State Vishnudev Sai said that it is a historical day for lakhs of labourers in Chhattisgarh and the entire nation.
He said that employee welfare is on the top of Central government’s priority list. Sai said that under Social Security Schemes of EPFA, the monthly salary limit has been increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 15,000. This initiative will cover nearly 50 lakh new employees under Social Security. likewise, the payable amount under Employee Deposit cum Insurance Scheme has also been increased three times from Rs 1.30 lakh to Rs 3.60 lakh .
He said that with increase in monthly salary limit under pension scheme from Rs 6500 to Rs 15000, the amount of monthly pension has also increased from Rs 3250 to Rs 7500. On the occasion, visually-impaired children of Hirapur, Raipur based social welfare organization ‘Prerna’ presented a welcome song for the guests. In the programme Regional Commissioner of EPFA Mukesh Kumar presented the progress report.