New Delhi, March 11, 2026:
EPS-95 pensioners on Wednesday called off their three-day protest at Jantar Mantar after several Members of Parliament appealed to them to withdraw the agitation and assured them of support for their long-pending demands. The protest had drawn elderly pensioners from multiple states demanding a minimum monthly pension of ₹7,500, along with dearness allowance and free medical facilities.
Addressing the gathering, EPS-95 National Agitation Committee (NAC) National President Commander Ashok Raut and National General Secretary Virendra Singh Rajawat said that nearly 8.1 million pensioners across the country continue to struggle with the current ₹1,000 minimum pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS-95). They urged the government to take a decision on pension enhancement during the ongoing Parliament session.
Several MPs visited the protest site and expressed support for the pensioners’ concerns. Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni (BJP, Pune), Shiv Sena MP Bhaurao Wakchaure (Shirdi), Congress MP Sagar Eshwar Khurde from Bidar, Karnataka, and Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh from Prayagraj addressed the gathering. The MPs appealed to the pensioners to end the protest and assured them that their parties would raise the issue and extend support to their demands.
Following these assurances, the pensioners decided to conclude the agitation.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at around 3:30 PM to discuss their demands. The delegation, led by MP Sahu Ji Maharaj, included Commander Ashok Raut and Virendra Singh Rajawat. During the meeting, the Finance Minister assured the delegation that the government would examine the issue of pension enhancement in line with the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Labour.
The protest, organised under the banner of the EPS-95 National Agitation Committee, was held at Jantar Mantar from March 9 to March 11, highlighting the demand to increase the minimum pension from the existing ₹1,000 to ₹7,500 per month for pensioners covered under the scheme administered by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
