Demand in LS for fixing Rs 3000 as minimum amount under EPS

The Lok Sabha today saw a demand for fixing the minimum amount under Employees Pension Scheme at Rs 3,000 and the government was urged to revamp the programme in tune with the present situation.
N K Premachandran (RSP) said there is a need to "revisit and revamp" the Employee Pension Scheme. 1995, and also fix the minimum pension amount at Rs 3,000 per month.
He was speaking on a resolution on 'Steps to ensure welfare of Employees Provident Fund pensioners', which was moved by him on December 11, 2015.
"The amount of pension should be increased in tune with the present living index," he said, adding that the mode of calculation also needs to be changed as currently there is no clarity about it.

He suggested that a Joint Parliamentary Committee could be set up to look into the issues related to employee pension scheme.
According to him, the government's contribution to the pension scheme should be increased from the current 1.16 per cent to a "moderate rate".

The whole matter needs to be reviewed after taking into consideration the present situation. Employee pension scheme should be the third benefit for workers after provident fund and gratuity, he added.
Premachandran also referred to the recent workers' protest in Bangaluru against certain proposed changes to Employees Provident Fund (EPF) that were later withdrawn.
"Unscientific, illogical and unrealistic decisions taken by the PF (Provident Fund) authorities," are creating unrest among the workers, Premachandran said and the "political executive" should intervene.

Among others, he urged the government to restore the benefits of commutation and return of capital to the EPF pensionsers, provide pension to them on the basis of average salary of 12 months preceeding the retirement date.
It should be ensured that payment of full pension as per the scheme is done "after realisation of full amount of commuted pension from pensioners".
Premachandran also took a dig at the present and past governments for gradually taking away the benefits of poor workers.
Supporting the resolution, Kirit Solanki (BJP) said his West Ahemdabad constituency had a large number of mills, but many of them are closed leaving the workers jobless. He urged the government to bring them under the pension scheme.

Om Birla (BJP) said that companies do not wish to employ labourers on a permament basis and this results in migration.
C R Chaudhary (BJP) said now that the government has made it mandatory for the compnaies with more than 10 employees to make benefits like PF mandatgory, there should be strict monitoring to see whether to have more than prescribed number of workers.
Earlier, lack of quorum forced House to delay proceedings for 20 minutes when it was to re-assemble at 4 pm hours.
There were just around 20 members present, including Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya, Kiren Rijiju and Jayant Sinha.

After waiting for sometime, Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra said, "there is no quorum... We are too short", adding that the House would meet at 1620 hours.