The EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, which represents pensioners under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), has placed several key demands before the government.
These include increasing the minimum monthly pension, providing dearness allowance (DA), free medical facilities, and implementing the higher pension benefit as per the Supreme Court’s judgment.
The committee has announced that if these demands are not accepted, it will hold a nationwide protest on August 5.
According to a PTI report, the committee is demanding that the minimum monthly pension be increased to ₹7,500. At present, the minimum pension under the EPS scheme is ₹1,000.
Committee Says ₹1,000 Pension Is Not Enough
According to a press release, the committee said that the current minimum pension of ₹1,000 per month is not enough to meet today’s living expenses. It has urged the government to raise the minimum pension to ₹7,500.
The Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), operated by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), came into effect on September 1, 2014.
Main Demands of the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee
The committee has placed the following demands before the government:
Increase the minimum monthly pension from ₹1,000 to ₹7,500.
Provide Dearness Allowance (DA) to pensioners.
Offer free medical facilities to pensioners and their spouses.
Give higher pension benefits to eligible pensioners in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment.
The committee said that these pensioners worked for decades and contributed significantly to India’s industrial and economic development. Therefore, they deserve a secure and dignified life after retirement.
Around 81 Lakh Pensioners Could Benefit
If the government accepts these demands, around 81 lakh (8.1 million) pensioners are expected to benefit.
Ashok Raut, National President of the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, said that this demand has been pending for decades.
He stated that although the government has repeatedly assured pensioners about the issue, no major decision has been taken so far.
Raut also said that many pensioners currently receive an average monthly pension of ₹1,171, which is not enough to meet present-day expenses.
Thousands of Pensioners to Protest at Jantar Mantar
Thousands of pensioners covered under the EPS-95 scheme will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar on August 5. The committee has already submitted its demands to the government.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State said that several organisations have raised similar demands.
However, no decision has been taken on the matter yet. The minister added that the government remains committed to protecting the interests of EPFO subscribers.