Retired rly staff cries foul about pension scheme

HUBLI: The All India Retired Railwaymen Federation (AIRRF) has accused the railway board of failing to take into account several directions issued by the pension ministry with regard to railway pensioners.
The AIRRF national president Y N Sastry said even though the pension ministry had issued several directions to the railway board in response to the pleas made by AIRRF, the railway board failed to implement them.
"Directions like holding pension adalats four times a year are yet to be implemented by the railway board. Although railway officials have been sympathetic towards the problems of retired railwaymen, no concrete steps were being taken to solve them," Sastry said.
He said withdrawal of New Pension Scheme (NPS), full parity in pension to all Pre-2006 pensioners, merger of DA (Dearness Allowance) as pay for the purpose of fixation of pension and grant of further instalments of DA, restoration of commuted portion of pension in 12 years instead of 15 years were the five major demands in addition to other demands had already been included as agenda for the SCOVA meeting.
He said AIRRF was biggest association of pensioners with around 8 lakh members in 16 railway zones of the country. But many of the railwaymen are unaware of the facilities that are available to them. My purpose of visiting railway zones to sensitize them and take them along in the fight for pressing for fulfilment of other demands, he said.
Sastry said while the Fifth Pay Commission had given several relief for the pensioners, the Sixth Pay Commission reverted many of them.
He said because of the federation's fight, unmarried or divorced daughters, physically challenged children of retired railway employees, had become eligible for getting the family pension.