Joint action panel takes out march over long-pending demands

Pensioners of Himachal Pradesh, under the banner of the Pensioners’ Joint Action Committee (JAC), staged a protest march in Chamba on Friday, demanding the release of long-pending financial dues and the implementation of revised pensionary benefits.

Following the demonstration, the pensioners submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu through the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, seeking prompt redressal of their grievances.

In the memorandum, the JAC outlined a 15-point Charter of Demands, calling on the state government to address long-standing issues of financial and service parity among retirees from various departments.

Key demands include the extension of revised pay and pension benefits to all pensioners who retired between January 1, 2016 and January 31, 2022, the release of 16 per cent dearness allowance with arrears for 111 months, settlement of long-pending medical reimbursement claims, and regular disbursal of pensions for retired Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) employees.

The committee further demanded release of arrears for pre-2016 retirees, revision of family pensions, and uniform implementation of pension benefits for employees of various boards and corporations, including the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) and urban local bodies. Additional appeals included medical reimbursement facilities on par with in-service government employees and the restoration of the pension scheme for corporate employees that was discontinued in 2004.

The pensioners urged the government to take decisive action within a week, cautioning that failure to do so would lead to an intensified second phase of protests across the state. The memorandum — signed by the JAC district convener and the Pensioners’ Welfare Association (PWA) district president — stated that continued delays had caused deep hardship and growing resentment among retirees. The signatories appealed for the Chief Minister’s immediate and sympathetic intervention.

Himachal Tribune