Mysore/Mysuru: Alleging undue delay in the release of pension, pensioners under the banner of EPS 95 and Retired Employees Welfare Association, Mysore, staged a demonstration in front of the EPF office in Gayathripuram here recently.

Raising slogans against the Centre, the protesters said that the Supreme Court which heard a petition regarding pensions two years ago, had ordered the Centre to implement the pension scheme. But both the Centre and the EPFO officials have ignored the SC directive and  cheated the retired employees by depriving  them of their pension. This has severely affected the pensioners, they maintained.

Contending that Companies are misleading even though the Provident Fund is financially strong, the protesters said that repeated pleas to the elected representatives appealing them to address Labour issues, has met with only limited results. The Centre should clearly come up with a pension policy that is labour-friendly, they said.

They further demanded fixing of Rs.9,000 as monthly pension, payment of 100 percent family pension in case of death of a retired husband  or wife employee and free medical treatment facility for EPS 95 pensioners.

The other demands included a hike in annual gratuity to 20 days from the existing 15 days, resumption of concession tickets to senior citizens in Railways, Rs.30,000 minimum wages for industrial workers in the unorganised sector and monthly pension of Rs.15,000 to retired workers who are covered  under EPF.

EPS 95 co-ordination committee National President Prakash Ende, General Secretary Prakash Pathak, office-bearers Ramabhadraiah, Swamy Shetty, Narasimharaju, R.G. Mohan Krishna, Vivekananda, A.P. Shivakumar and others were present.