Pensioners seek hike in medical allowance

The Retired Employees’ Association has held a meeting under the leadership of district president Hoshiyar Singh to press the state government for accepting their demands. They also submitted a letter of their demands to the Deputy Commissioner through the tehsildar.

The meeting began with a two-minute silence to pay respect to the tourists killed in the recent Pahalgam terror attack. The members passed a resolution supporting the government action against terrorists. Several resolutions were also passed regarding the problems being faced by retired employees. Vijaypal Jakhar from the Haryana Employees’ Federation attended the meeting and supported the retirees’ demands.

The association members threatened to plan protests if their demands were not met. The retired employees demanded that the benefits of the 8th Pay Commission should also be extended to those who retired before its implementation. They said excluding such retired employees them from these benefits was unfair, as they had equally contributed to the system during their tenure.

They also raised concerns about the existing medical allowance of Rs 1,000. Given the rising cost of healthcare, they urged the government to increase the allowance to Rs 3,000 per month.

Another major issue discussed was the delay in the full implementation of the cashless medical treatment scheme promised by the Haryana government. The retirees insisted that the facility be made fully functional and should cover all kinds of illnesses to ensure proper healthcare support to elderly pensioners.

The association members pointed out that in neighbouring Punjab, pensioners receive a 5% increase in their basic pension upon reaching the ages of 65, 70, 75 and 80. They demanded a similar system for Haryana so that older pensioners are better supported in their later years. Additionally, they demanded a revision in the current deduction period for commuted pension. At present, deductions continue for 15 years, which was set when interest rates were much higher. They suggested reducing this period to 10 years and 8 months to reflect current financial conditions.

They also highlighted the issue of Leave Travel Concession (LTC), which many retired employees are unable to access due to the unavailability of funds.

Haryana Tribune