Pensioners protest over amendments to Pension Act

Mysuru: Members of the National Coordination Committee of Pensioners' Association (NCCPA) on Friday staged a protest in front of the BSNL office at Jayalakshmipuram in the city, urging the Union govt to withdraw amendments to the Pension Act that was recently passed in Parliament.They condemned the Union govt for rejecting the salary hike of pensioners even before the constitution of the 8th Pay Commission. They also demanded the constitution of the 8th Pay Commission and wanted to include BSNL and allied department workers under the new pension scheme. Parameshwaraiah, president of the association, convener CR Krishnamurthy, and others were present.Raitha Sangha oppose govt decisionMeanwhile, Mysuru district unit members of Karnataka Raitha Sangha held a protest outside the office of Aranya Bhavan in the city, protesting against the state govt's decision to declare land outside the fringes of forest areas as reserve forest areas. They opposed the state govt's decision to bring a law to evict farmers cultivating such forest land in various forest fringe villages of the district from ages. They wanted to distribute title deeds and land ownership rights to the farmers cultivating on these lands for the past three generations.Activists of Gandhadagudi Foundation held a protest demanding the state govt to clear illegal resorts and lodges constructed in the backwaters of Kabini dam and other ecologically sensitive zones of Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves. They took out a protest rally from Ashoka Circle to Aranya Bhavan in the city. The protesters condemned the district authorities for not initiating action against such unlawful activities, even though the Union govt has declared a 10-km radius of all national parks and a 5-kilometre radius of all tiger reserves as ecologically-sensitive zones, restricting the construction of illegal resorts and lodges. The protesters demanded the govt protect the environment by clearing such illegal activities.