BJP demands that the minimum pension under EPS 95 should be at Rs. 3000/month & not at Rs.1000

Описание: 15th January 2014, The BJP demands that the minimum pension under the EPS 95 (EPF Pension) should be declared at Rs. 3000 per month and not at Rs. 1000 as government is proposing as it will be only tokenism and disservice to the working class of the country. BJP has made this demand on the reports that government is mulling to declare Rs. 1000 as the minimum pension under the scheme. BJP has criticized that this is too late and too little. BJP is continuously campaigning for increasing the pension under the scheme to 41 lakh pensioners and 50 million workers who are contributing every month under the scheme.

Shri. Prakash Javadekar has petitioned the Rajya Sabha Petition committee to increase the minimum pension to Rs. 3000 per month and also made a demand that it should be indexed to inflation. The Petitions Committee had accepted all the demands and has recommended the government to accept the main demands and has also recommended improving the scheme further. The report of the Petitions Committee is tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament. Instead of accepting this unanimous report the government is considering an old proposal of the Labour Ministry.

More than 50 million workers contribute 8.33% of their wages for the provident fund. The employer contributes 8.33% to the pension scheme. The government contributes only 1.16% for the pension scheme. The result of the meager contribution of the government is that out of 41 lakh pensioners 30 lakh pensioners get less than Rs. 1000 per month as pension. More than 20 lakh pensioners get less than Rs. 500 per month. The government is now mulling to increase its contribution from 1.16% to 1.79% only. BJP demands that the government also should contribute 8.33% so that the minimum pension of Rs. 3000 along with indexation can be given.

The UPA government has proved to be most anti-labour government. It continued with the practice of exploitation of workers under contractual system and allowed rapid casualisation of labour. BJP is committed to provide a new deal to the labour class in form of job-wage-social security.