A demand was made in Lok Sabha today for increase in the minimum pension to Rs 3000 per month, review of the Employees Pension Scheme and hike in the government share in Provident Fund.
Supporting a resolution introduced by N K Premachandran (RSP) on 'Steps to Ensure Welfare of Employees Provident Fund pensionsers', Saugata Roy of Trinamool Congress said the government's contribution to the EPF is just 1.16 per cent since 1971 and that has to be increased.
Roy also demanded PF for the unorganised sector the way it is being given by the West Bengal government.
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He said the pension amount worth thousands of crores of rupees is lying with the government.
Under the existing provision, the unused pension is used for the benefit of the senior citizens fund.
Opposing this, Roy said the money of the workers should be spent on workers and the government can make separate provision for the senior citizens fund.
He said the Labour Ministry should protest publicly against the Finance Ministry regarding this move. He also opposed the move of EPF be allowed to be invested in the market.
Roy said the existing pension is of Rs 1000 per month and it should be increased to Rs 3000 as there has been no revision in this for the past 20 year.
There was a lighter moment when Roy mispelt the name of Labour Minister Banadaru Dattatreya.
To this, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri said, "Hota Hain Budhape mein hota hain". (It happens in old age).
68-year-old Roy responded to 55-year-old Bidhuri: "Tum toh Navjavan Ho" (You are still young).
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Sankar Prasad Datta (CPI-M) said the BJP government has not fulfiled any of its election promises and the prices of essential commodities have continued to rise burdening common man.
He added that PSU bank employees have gone on strike today, not to demand salary increase, but to press for policies for a welfare of working class.
Supporting the demand for monthly pension of Rs 3,000, he said it is "reasonable and just" and should be given to all workers in the unorganised sector.
Blaming Congress for low penetration of pension in the country, Nishikant Dubey (BJP) said only 10 per cent of the people get pension.
He said the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in the past and Modi government presently are trying to increase the penetration of pension.
He said the government has increased the minimum pension to Rs 1,000 per month.
