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Pensioners seek support for demands

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE APRIL 6. Pensioners have warned that if their grievances were not reddressed they would utilise their votes in the forthcoming elections to send a message to the major political parties that have been insensitive to their problems.

An apex committee of the Confederation of Pensioners Associations (COPA), consisting of the president and secretaries of pensioners' organisations, have also taken a decision to press for a commitment from the Lok Sabha candidates to speak up for them if elected.

A sub-committee with P.K. Gopalakrishnan as convener has been constituted to meet leaders of political parties and candidates contesting the elections to seek their support for the pensioners' demands.

The Confederation said the recent Central Government decision to release dearness allowance of two per cent and merger of 50 per cent dearness relief (DR) with basic pension from April 4 was prompted by electoral considerations and said if the Government was sincere it would have implemented the Fifth Pay Commission recommendation to revise pay and pension in 10 years and a new pay commission set up by January 2003.

It said whatever benefits had been obtained by pensioners were on account of court verdicts or recommendations of pay commissions.

The Confederation also expressed shock at the recommendation of the expert committee and work group on pension liabilities to stop payment of service pension at the age of 75.

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