Central and state government pensioners belonging to various pensioners’ associations staged a dharna opposite to the Collectorate here on Wednesday in support of their 16-point charter of demands under the banner of the Coordination Committee of the Central, State Government and Public Sector Pensioners’ Associations.
The main demands included dropping of the New Pension Scheme, fixation of the minimum pension as Rs.13,000, monthly medical allowance of Rs.2000, immediate release and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission Report, filling up of all vacancies in the government departments, giving up of the move for disinvestment of public sector undertakings, dropping of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014, giving up of the move to amend the Industrial Disputes Act, control of the rising prices of essential commodities, rise in the minimum family pension under the Employees Provident Fund Pension Scheme to Rs.3000 and removal of the salary ceiling for eligibility to bonus and PF.
Trade union representatives A. Rajendran (Tamil Nadu Government Pensioners Association), M. Chidambaram, (All India Postal and RMS Pensioners Association), V.E. Ekanadeeswaran (Tamil Nadu Electricity Pensioners Welfare Organization), V. Ezhumalai (All India BSNL and DoT Pensioners Association), N. Govindasamy (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation-Pensioners Welfare Association), C. Gokuldas, Tamil Nadu Retired Teachers Association), M. Sivaraman (Indian Bank Retired Pensioners Association) and R. Kesavan (LIC Retired Pensioners Association) presided over the demonstration.
B. Krishnamoorthy, state general secretary of TNGPA inaugurated the demonstration. D. Kuppan, district president of TNGPA, C. Gnanasekharan, state organizing secretary of AIBDPA, S. Santhanaraman, state treasurer of AIPRPA, B. Jothi Sudanthiranathan, district secretary of AIBDPA, N. Pichumani, state secretary of TNEPWO and N.G. Ganesan of TNRTA explained in detail about the demands of the pensioners.
