Steel plant pensioners seek higher pension

Visakhapatnam : A group of pensioners of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant met Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-II Pawan Kumar Jasti here on Thursday and submitted a memorandum requesting to immediately release higher pension orders.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had delivered a judgement in favour of EPS pensioners entitling them to pension on actual salary drawn by them at the time of retirement on payment of the arrear contributions for the eligible period of their service.

The regional PF office has issued demand notices in September 2023 to about 2,500 eligible aspirants of the VSP asking them to remit such arrear contributions for processing the higher Pensions, the pensioners informed.

More than Rs 400 crore was remitted to the PF office account about 14 months ago, they added. Although pension is to be granted within two-three months of receipt of contributions, there has been no progress ever since.

Speaking on the occasion, the pensioners said that the Union Labour Minister had directed to resolve the issue immediately particularly in the case of those who had remitted the contributions. The delay and indecision on the part of the PF authorities is assailed across the country by the pensioner’s fraternity, they said.

Recently, a meeting of Vizag Steel pensioners has taken place which resolved to take up the issue on a large scale by submitting memorandum, holding protests, and in case no action takes place, seeking legal address.