Pensioners honoured in Nurpur

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, January 8

The HP State Pensioners’ Association honoured eight octogenarian pensioners of the area during its annual function at the Bachat Bhawan here on Saturday. The association, founded in 1995, is organising the Samman Samahro for the past many years to honour aged pensioners hailing from lower Kangra areas.

Anil Bhardwaj, Nurpur SDM, who presided over the function, felicitated eight pensioners. They were presented with shawls, caps and mementos.

Bhardwaj lauded the role of the pensioners’ body in addressing problems of the beneficiaries. SL Gupta, president of the association, briefed the gathering about their ongoing activities. He said that the association had been resolving the issues of the pensioners and was organising its monthly meeting (barring lockdown) every month on second Saturday to redress and take up problems of the pensioners with the authorities concerned.

He highlighted the longstanding demands of the pensioners, including conversion of pension allowance of 5, 10 and 15 per cent, respectively, after reaching the age of 65, 70 and 75 years, into pension increment and the enhancement of monthly medical allowance from Rs 400 to Rs 2,000 per month. He also appealed to the state government to seek medical allowance options from pensioners and issue a notification of the amended rules so that pensioners could get the benefit of the implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.