AGARTALA, Sep 18 (TIWN): PSU pensioners have threatened Tripura Govt to go for biggest-ever seen movement for their rights. After submitting a letter to Chief Minister Manik Sarkar the pensioners said, "The State Central salary division has been entirely created by Tripura Govt. This is not only illegal but heinous". Addressing media, Pensioners said, "Some organizations' pensioners are getting Rs. 471 under State Govt, whereas under Central Govt its 1000 after the review of 2014. Moreover, when pensioners under state govt is paid minimum Rs. 7020, but under PSU State Govt is paying maximum Rs. 2000/-"."Secondly when the state govt employees' minimum pensions is 1 lakh 5 thousand 7 hundred 20 rupees but PSU employees maximum pension Rs. 2000/- and that is also fixed without DA and MA", said 'All Tripura Pensioners and Employees Association' General Secretary Durgesh Ranjan Chowdhury to media.

"This is Entirely created by the state govt. The entire responsibility lies with the state govt as the state govt has divided the PSUs into 7 categories and state govt is giving double pensions to the 6 PSUs employees. This is unfortunate ! However we under the 40 PSUs, will not spare the state govt because this is not only illegal but this is heinous. This is very unconstitutional", Chowdhury said.

"We have begun the movement with the letter to Chief Minister today here ! We will go to the end of it. We can stay  without food for our livelihood. In our limited capacity we will create such a situation in the state that state govt's sleep", added Durgesh Ranjan Chowdhury.

On Monday, a deputation was placed to the Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar in this regard. In the deputation it was highlighted :

Background:

1.     The state govt didn’t introduce any pension benefit till 15.11.1995 for its Govt Undertaking (s) / PSU(s) as defined in clause (2) (j) under DFPRT,

2.     Subsequently the central govt framed a detrimental “Employees Pension Scheme” in 1995 (EPS’95) for industrial workers under section 6-A of the EPF & MP Act, 1952 and the state govt implemented this arbitrary scheme for its PSU employees unilaterally without “option”,

3.     The state govt contributed towards CPF is not also paid on actual pay (Basic +DA) at per Jute Mill and TSECL.

As a result in consequences for PSU pensioners came as :

1.     PSU employees and officers superannuated upto 2006 are completely deprive of pensions as per EPS’95,

2.     From 2007 onwards, fixed pension is given under EPS @Rs. 429/- to 1764 maximum without DR & MA for Group-A and Group-D,

3.     From 2014 the minimum pension is revised deom Rs. 429 to Rs. 1000and maximum is Rs. 1764/- (Fixed) without DR, MA. On the contrary Tripura Govt pensioners from 1.4.2017 is Rs. 7020and maximum is Rs. 1,05, 720.

With all these, the pensioners have demanded to diminish the discrimination among the pensioners state govt employees and pensioners. 

Discriminatory Classification of PSU for Pension benefit:

1.EPS higher pension : Jute Mill and TSECL employees have been covered under higher pension on actual CPF contribution,

2. Double pension : 6 PSU employees have been covered under double pension (EPS & LIC) such as State Pollution Control Board, Rehabilitation Plantation Corporation, Renewable Energy Dev Agency, Biotechnology Council, Gomati Cooperative milk Producers Union and State Council for Science and Technology.

3. Govt Pension : 2 PSU employees are covered under TSCS Pension rules (Govt Pension) such as Tripura Social Welfare Board and TBSE.

4. EPS duel pension higher : Tripura Khadi & Village Industries Board, (TKVIP) allowed higher pension till 28.02.2007,

5. EPS duel pension lower : The said PSU (Tripura Khadi & Village Industries Board) introduced "lower Pension from 31. 03.2017.

6. EPS Lower pension: Lower pension for remaining PSU including TMC & Dr BRAM Teaching Hospital,

7. No EPS category : Few PSU Employees like Tripura State Cooperative Consumers , Cooperative Federation Lmt, Fishery Cooperative Society etc are totally excluded from the purview of EPF & EPS, 95.

The pensioners ultimate demands are :

1. To provide similar pension or benefit like TSECL, Jute Mill employees,

2. To frame one common service rule of all Govt Undertaking as defined under 2 (j), of the DFPRT to avoid all discrimination and disparity of payment of Gratuity, Leave, Encashment etc.