I am also incidentally an EPF pensioner leaving service at the age of 50 after rendering 20 years service from a central PSU and even 20 years after my voluntary retirement drawing a paltry rs.831 per month inspite of minimum 1000 fixed.
Fortunately I am not depending on my EPF pension as I have income from other sources and my profession. But I observe that there are several employees left my orrganisation upto 2003 due to several reasons including retirement drawing such paltry pension upto 1000 per month who are struggling their life to make both ends meet having spent their retirement benefits & gratuity and pension amounts for the expenses of their house construction, children education/marriage or medical expenses of self , spouce or other family members..They are not covered by any ESI or other medical facility of the CPSUs introduced recently gor those retired from 2007 and some invested their benefits in some business but were unsuccessful.
The ex employees are unorganised spread all over india. The persons in Kerala state where I belong are also unorganised and we are not members of any organisation for epf pensioners.
I also find that the problem of persons left service before 2003 and those between 2003 tp 2014 and those after 2014 are different as also employees from exempted establishments (like ours) and others to be dealt separately.
Some of the affected persons sre now super senior citizens reaching age of 80 and others are also not physically fit for a tough physical agitations.
What is demanded for our category is a decent pension of minimum 3000 per month with DA enhancing present minimum pension of 1000 notwithstanding a general demand of minimum 7500 pension +DA. Yhose retired between 2003 - 2014 should get pension on actual salary last drawn with a minimum pension.
This suggestion is based on presumption that salary was hiked generally during this period. Those after 2014 should be able to opt to contribute on actual salary above 15000 and get a decent pension in comparison with govt employees and other selected bank, public sectors.
In my state of kerala social welfare pension to hapless persons and senior citizens are now raised to 1400 per month. I understand the same in some other state is around 2000.
So is it not fair enough to fix our epf minimum pension to 3000 if we are not drawing any ither oension since I understand that about 5 laks crore rupees is available in epf fund which can be utilized for this and there are no claimants in many accounts. Kerala high court has given verdicts in all cases that have come.
Before them to pay pension on actual salary including those from exempted establishments and some organisations have implemented it subject to result of supreme court verdict since EPFO and central govt has challenged the favourable orders of SC by reviews and the matter will be heard in open court only after normalcy restored.
I have seen that some MPs have taken up the matter sincerely including Premachandran from kerala giving lead role. But still I doubt they are not abreast with problems of all sectors of pensioners although they have addressed certain issues.
I hope and pray someone will take effective leadership to find a positve timebound solution to the problem. - Adv. venugopalan T Kochi
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