Pensioners hold protest against govt apathy

Ajit Singh Bagri, general secretary of the confederation addressing the pensioners blamed Punjab Finance Minister Kanwaljit Singh for issuing baseless and useless finance department notification dated July 21 which was later on amended and new instructions were subsequently issued on August 18 resulting in unnecessary harassment to old age pensioners’. Now the amended instructions suffered from ready-reckoner of revised pension as on January 1,1996.

Bagri apprehended that the ready reckoner of revised pension was not likely to be issued by the end of this month. As a result of which pensioners would not be able to receive arrears of revised pension before the coming Diwali festival.

Later on a deputation of Pb State Pensioners Confederation comprising B.R.Kaushal, president, Ajit Singh Bagri, general secretary, J.S.Dhillon finance secretary, Sri Vastva Joshi, M.S.Cheema of Punjab Government Colleges Retired Teachers Association and others met Arun Goel, deputy commissioner and submitted 20-point charter of demands.

Prominent among these were release of dearness relief installments of 4 per cent, 8 per cent, 13 per cent and 16 per cent with ready reckoner, merger of dearness relief as on 1-7-93 in basic pension, implementation of Supreme Court of India judgment in the Dr Assa Singh case to all employees retired even before March 1985 and grant of benefit of travel concession to widow pensioners including both husband and wife pensioners.