Shimla, Sep 1 (PTI) Lending support to the protest of pensioners in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, the state BJP unit said it is shameful that senior citizens aged above 70 years are being compelled to take to the streets and demand their pension benefits.
Hundreds of pensioners participated in a protest near the Vidhan Sabha here on Tuesday, demanding that the government immediately clear their dues and initiate talks with them. The protesters demanded payment of 16 Dearness Allowance, post-2016 pay revision liabilities, revised pension arrears, leave encashment and other pending financial benefits.
In a statement, BJP state president Rajeev Bindal said retired employees who devoted 30 to 40 years of their lives to serving Himachal Pradesh are now being forced to take to the streets for their legitimate rights and pending financial benefits.
Launching a sharp attack on the Congress government, he said every section of society is distressed by the current government’s functioning.
“Those who dedicated their lives to the service of the state are being forced to struggle for what is rightfully theirs, while the chief minister, ministers and MLAs of the Congress government remain unmoved by their concerns,” Bindal said in the statement.
He said nearly 8,000 retired employees had gheraoed the Vidhan Sabha in Dharamshala, while demonstrations have been taking place continuously across various districts. And now, thousands of retired employees have gathered outside the Vidhan Sabha in Shimla to raise their demands.
Elderly retired employees are travelling from far-flung areas such as Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kangra to reach Shimla and protest outside the Assembly, Bindal said, adding that yet, the government has failed to respond to their grievances.
Instead of resolving the problems faced by retired employees, the Congress government is making false claims and misleading the people. Withholding financial benefits earned by employees after decades of public service amounts to grave injustice, the state BJP chief said.
Pointing out that there are approximately 1.85 lakh retired employees in Himachal Pradesh, he urged the government to show sensitivity towards their rights and concerns.
The BJP strongly condemns the treatment being meted out to retired employees by the current Congress government and stands firmly with them in their struggle, he added. PTI BPL RUK RUK
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