Big news has come regarding pensions under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Reports say that pensioners covered under the Employee Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95) are planning to protest over the issue of minimum pension.
According to reports, the pensioners will hold a **three-day protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi starting from March 9.
Demand to Increase Minimum Pension
According to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI), the pensioners are demanding that the minimum monthly pension should be increased from ₹1,000 to ₹7,500.
The protest has been called by the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, which is led by its National President Commander Ashok Raut.
Pensioners Say Appeals Have Been Ignored
In a statement, the committee said that about 8.1 million pensioners from
central and state government public sector undertakings, cooperative sectors, private sectors, mills, and media houses have been raising their demands for the last nine years.
According to the PTI report, the committee said that appeals have already been made to the Prime Minister, Union Ministers,
and MPs from all political parties, but the government has not responded to the concerns of elderly pensioners.
They also stated that many workers paid pension contributions to EPFO regularly for 30 to 35 years of service, yet they are receiving an average monthly pension of only ₹1,171.
Health and Financial Concerns Raised
The committee alleged that very low pensions and the lack of free medical care are creating serious problems for pensioners.
It claimed that because of these issues, around 200–250 pensioners across the country die prematurely every day.
Due to this continued neglect, pensioners have decided to hold protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on March 9, 10, and 11.
The protest will take place at the beginning of the second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament, according to the statement.
Pensioners from Across India May Join
Pensioners from all states of India are expected to take part in the protest, and MPs from different political parties may also participate.
The main demands of the pensioners include:
A minimum monthly pension of ₹7,500
Dearness allowance (DA) along with the pension
Free medical treatment for pensioners and their spouses
They have also demanded that all eligible pensioners should receive the benefits of higher pension, in line with the **Supreme Court EPS‑95 Higher Pension Judgment (2022) decision given on November 4, 2022 by the Supreme Court of India.
In addition, pensioners who were left out of the EPS-95 scheme have demanded that they should receive a monthly pension of ₹5,000.
