Pensioners body to hold protest in Delhi on Feb 27

All-India EPS-95 Pensioners Sangharsh Samiti will take out a march from the Jantar Mantar to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Delhi on February 27 for the minimum monthly pension of Rs 7500 under the scheme.

EPS-95 pensioners from all over the country have been agitating on the issue of raising their pension since the last three years, but the Centre has done nothing except giving hollow assurances, a statement said Friday.

"As per a Supreme Court order, EPS pensioners should be given a higher pension. At present they are getting the pension in range of Rs 200 to Rs 2500 per month, which is meagre in view of rising inflation," the Sangharsh Samiti's Bhopal coordinator R A Dharkar stated.

He said the pension amount should be raised to minimum Rs 7500 per month apart from the DA (Dearness Allowance).

"A rally will be taken out on February 27 from Jantar Mantar to the office of the Prime Minister for our demands," the release stated.

The Samiti also seeks better medical facilities to the EPS-95 pensioners and their spouses. It also wanted that those retired employees who are not part of the scheme be brought under its ambit.

Dharkar claimed the Central government had only given hollow assurances to pensioners.

EPS or Employee Pension Scheme, which was brought into force in the year of 1995, is a guaranteed pension plan supported by the government, wherein the stipulated amount will be remitted to the employee upon retirement, without any changes to the same.