ON a call given by the joint front of the Punjab Government and Semi-Government Pensioners’ Welfare Association, a large number of pensioners from across the state today staged a dharna at YPS Chowk, near Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s residence against non-fulfillment of the demands of the senior citizens.
Sat Paul Rahi, senior vice-president of the association said representatives of the Punjab Government Pensioners’ Association, Punjab Raj Pensioners Mahasangh, Punjab State Pensioners Confederation and Punjab Pensioners Welfare Association felt the Punjab government had meted out step-motherly treatment to retired government employees.
He said that in its election manifesto, the Congress party had promised that it would enhance gratuity, medical allowance and house rent of the pensions. But none of these had been fulfilled. Only one meeting with pensioners had been held by the government, in 2004, during which several demands of the senior citizens were accepted by the CM but they could not be implemented because of the code of conduct in force in view of parliamentary elections. Thereafter, no relief was provided to them despite much pursuance, he complained.
He further said that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Shamsher Singh Dullo had recently issued a statement saying all demands of pensioners had been accepted, while, in fact, not even a single demand had been accepted. The association condemned the allegedly misleading statement issued by the PPCC president.
Rahi said the joint front of the pensioners had decided that in case the government failed to attend to their demands, they would intensify their agitation and go on an indefinite hunger strike.
Posted By Staff Reporter
in Featured, Punjab News
0 comments