Subhash Mahajan
Chamba: A joint meeting of the Pensioners’ United Struggle Forum and the Bharatiya State Pensioners’ Federation, Chamba unit, was held at the district headquarters here to deliberate on long-pending demands of pensioners. The meeting was chaired by Dr DK Soni, senior vice-president of the state unit.
During the meeting, speakers expressed strong resentment over the delay in convening the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting and demanded that it be held before December 17. They recalled that pensioners across Himachal Pradesh had staged a united protest at Dharamshala on November 28, where Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had assured them that a JCC meeting would be convened within seven days to discuss all pending issues.
However, more than two weeks have passed and the meeting is yet to be held, leading to growing discontent among pensioners. The speakers warned in clear terms that if the government failed to convene the JCC meeting before December 17, the agitation would be intensified.
The pensioner leaders accused the government of spending crores of rupees on celebrations while allegedly neglecting the legitimate rights of pensioners. They pointed out that for a long time pensioners have been demanding clearance of pending dues. In particular, pensioners of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) are not receiving their pensions on time, while non-payment of medical reimbursement bills has forced many pensioners to forgo proper treatment.
The meeting also discussed and finalised strategy for the Foundation Day function scheduled to be held on December 17. Overall, the pensioners reiterated their resolve to continue raising their voice collectively for the protection of their rights and warned the government against further delays in addressing their grievances.
