# If the Govt Won’t Act, then the People Will”: Commander Ashok Raut

# PM Modi is Committed to the Solution: Union Labour Minister, requests to end the agitation

01 August 2024 , New Delhi:

Thousands of pensioners of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, EPS-95, held a successful agitation on July 31, 2024, demanding the minimum monthly pension be increased to Rs. 7500+DA including some other demands. A meeting with MPs of different parties from Maharashtra has been called at the request of NAC Chairman Commander Ashok Raut and at the appeal of Honorable Shri Dhairyasheel Mane, MP Kolhapur—Hatakdangale.

In the meeting by NAC, Commander Ashok Raut presented a very effective case of EPS-95 pensioners about the inadequacy of the current pension to sustain the basic needs of the retiree and his family. He highlighted the miserable conditions of the pensioners surviving on a meagre pension under the scheme.

Hon’ble Labour Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya responded by calling a team of representatives from EPS-95 for a discussion. He assured the pensioners that the government is serious about finding solutions to their problems quickly. Dr. Mandaviya assured the pensioners that everybody, right from the Prime Minister, is committed to solving their problems. The Labour Minister urged them to withdraw this movement. In response Cdr. Ashok Raut agreed to defer this agitation beyond a certain date, given that the representatives have joined this movement from 22 states.

The other major attendees included the National General Secretary, Shri Virendra Singh Rajawat, National Chief Coordinator Shri Ramakant Nargund, and 11 members of Parliament from Maharashtra, who showed solidarity with the pensioners’ cause. Others who attended included Shrimant Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Mrs. Shobha Tai Bachhav, MP of Dhule (Congress); Nagesh Patil Ashtikar; Sanjay Deshmukh; Kalyan Kale; Shri Bhaskarrao Bhagre, MP Dindori, NCP—Sharad Pawar; Shri Rajabhau Vaje, MP Nashik, U.B.; Shri Bhausaheb Wakchaure, MP Shirdi, U.B.; and Omraje Nimbalkar and Bandu Jadhav.

The EPFO office also came in to action and an emergency meeting with the delegation of NAC held in the office of the EPFO which extended beyond official hours and concluded in a positive way with assurances from the department.

The meeting convened on 1st August by MP Shri Dhairyasheel Mane was attended by 12 MPs and many state Ministers, including MoS for Cooperation, Shri Murlidhar Mohod of BJP, Ms. Smita Wagh, MP, Jalgaon of BJP, Shri Vishal Patil, MP Sangli, Independent, Shri Sandipan Bhumare, MP Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Shiv Sena, Shri Suresh alias Balya Mama Mhatre, MP, Bhiwandi of NCP, Sharad Pawar Group, and Ms. Medha Kulkarni, MP, Rajya Sabha, Pune, BJP. All the MPs properly understood the issues of pensioners and assured cooperation. The meeting was held in Maharashtra Sadan.

Commander Ashok Raut, National General Secretary Virendra Singh Rajawat, PN Patil, Shobha Aras, Sarita Narkhede, BS Narkhede, and Rajiv Bhatnagar participated actively in the CPFC meeting and the follow-up deliberations.

“Despite regular contribution towards the pension fund, pensioners get inadequate pension that has been increasing their misery,” stated Commander Ashok Raut, president of the National Agitation Committee of EPS-95. For the last eight years, 78 lakh pensioners all across the country have been demanding an increase in the minimum pension, but the government has not heeded to our call.

Presently, pensioners get an average monthly pension of just Rs 1,450. We demand an increase to Rs 7,500 per month with dearness allowance and free health facilities for the spouse of the pensioner. If the government doesn’t act, the people will.

Under EPS-95, 12 per cent of employees’ basic comes as a contribution towards their pension in the Provident Fund. Of this, 8.33 per cent is the contribution from the employer’s side towards EPS-95 while the government pitches in with 1.16 per cent. Yet, despite these rules notified in September 2014, pensioners are at the receiving end of a lousy system. Data from EPFO puts the number of pensioners across the country at around 78 lakh.