Udupi: Udupi Taluk Provident Fund, Pensioners’ Association organized protest meet in front of Provident and Pension Fund office building here, on Wednesday, July 31 demanding increase in PF amount.
Umesh Kunder, Secretary of Udupi Taluk Provident Fund Pensioners’ Association addressing the protesters said that the Provident Fund has a lot of surplus funds, which is being used in the share market.
“People who have worked for several decades are getting pension of mere Rs 2000. This amount is not sufficient to lead a dignified life. There is a need to hike the pension amount,” he said adding that the main idea behind the companies deducting a certain amount from employees’ salary and depositing it with the Provident Fund is to ensure the security of employees after their retirement. The purpose is now not being met. “We want the government to increase the pension amount to at least Rs 6,000,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking about the various discrepancies in the entry of date of birth of the employees and the confusions it has been creating, he said that many senior citizens have their date of birth wrongly entered when they joined the duty decades ago, may be due to typographic errors or due to illiteracy. This is now causing a lot of problems, he said seeking relaxation on this. “Whatever Provident Fund amount is collected it must be given to employees at the time of the retirement, without any hassles about the errors in the date of birth etc,” he said.
Vishwanath Rai, President of CITU District Committee said that the unorganized workers and beedi workers are contributing immensely to the economy of the country. A pensioner should get half pension before 50 years and full pension after 50 years of age. There is a need to unite all pensioners. The government is investing dearness allowances in share market, he alleged. A memorandum to the Prime Minister was forwarded through the Deputy Commissioner.
