BMS to stage protest outside EPFO office on Jan 20

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) will stage dharna outside offices of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) across the country on January 20 to press its demand for hiking the minimum monthly pension to Rs 5,000 from Rs 1,000 now under Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995.

“During the Covid-19 days also those who have worked lifelong got only a paltry amount of minimum pension of Rs 1,000, which is less than destitute pension. Hence, the minimum pension under EPS, 1995, should be hiked to Rs 5,000 per month from the existing Rs 1,000 per month,” BMS said in a release.

Any hike in pension should benefit all 65 lakh pensioners as in the past when minimum pension was enhanced to Rs 1,000 per month, it benefitted only 14 lakh pensioners out of nearly 44 lakh eligible pensioners at that time.

BMS also said since in-principle acceptance was given by the labour ministry, EPS pensioners should be covered under Ayushman Bharat medical scheme as these old age pensioners with low pension were unable to get treatment at super speciality hospitals. “The government should formulate a universal pension scheme so that pension should be 50% of last drawn salary,” BMS said.