The Old-Age Benefit Scheme pensioners are suffering despite announcement made by the government in Federal Budget 2010-11 to enhance their minimum pension from Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 per month. The PPP-government, which raises slogans of protecting workers and labourers rights, is paying no heed to the miseries of old people.
These people are shuttling between the offices of Employees Old-Age Benefits (EOB) and the National Bank of Pakistan offices for the last two months. The Employees Old-Age Benefit Scheme is attached department of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower, which has not issued any notification for the increment in the pension yet. This is matter of great concern for the pensioners of the EOB. Most of these pensioners belong to the poor segment of the society.
The government had ignored these people the previous year and deprived them of the increment in the pension in spite of having sufficient funds. Senior PPP leader and Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Shah who has recently announced Labour Policy 2010 did not made mention of it. The pensioners of EOB scheme appealed the minister to take notice of this injustice and issue notification of increment forthwith. The minister had also told the media that EOB has billion of rupees fund, which are lying in the banks. He said that his ministry would launch a project worth Rs 16 billion for the construction of motorway in Sindh.
Muhammad Azad, a 68-year old pensioner of Old-Age Benefit Scheme told Business Recorder that the people are running from pillar to post but in vain. He said that the officials of EOB tells the pension holders that National Bank of Pakistan would increase their pension while on the other hand the officials of EOB are of the view that the bank has the authority to give increment. He said that the increase in pension is very small as compared to the price hike and hyper increase in utility bills.
Another 70-year old pensioner Majid Altaf said that the PPP-government should pay attention to the issues of old pensioners of EOB and take immediate steps to resolve their problems. He said that the government had announced minimum increase in pension of EOB employees ie, Rs 1000 per month whereas government servants pay/pension has been increased manifold. But the government is not implementing minimum increase in the pensions of EOB pension holders.