Mamata to address twin rallies in Asansol on Saturday
Law minister Moloy Ghatak, chairman of AMC, Amarnath Chatterjee and other top TMC leaders inspected both the venues in Asansol and Kulti, today.
Members of the ‘Sarbik Pension Adhikar Andolon Committee’ called for the ‘Pension Satyagraha Movement’ at a gathering at Press Club today. The senior citizens of the state belonging to the unorganised sector today vouched to strengthen their struggle, demanding pension for all.
Citizens of all ages including professionals from all sections of the society demanded legislation, which makes pension compulsory for elderly citizens. ‘Right to pension is inherent in Article 21 of our Constitution,’ highlighted Osman Mallick, convener of the committee.
“Every senior citizen above 60 years is entitled to a pension and no government can deny it. While bureaucrats, officers, judges, teachers, MPs, MLAs and other ministers are given a pension, senior citizens on the other hand, are not provided with this facility. However, no political party has taken the initiative to enforce the right and introduce the scheme for all the common citizens of the country,” he said.
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A member of the committee claimed that although there are pension and schemes available for SC/ST comprising Rs 1,000 per month, the benefit is enjoyed by the people with a monthly income less than Rs 1,000.
“Such low income could only be applicable for beggars, but contradictorily, beggars are excluded from the list of beneficiaries. We, therefore, demand for a scheme which should be beneficial and viable for all the strata of the society, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, and income,” he added.
Voicing similar assertions, another member said, “As voters and citizens of the country, we possess the power to elect our representatives. The ministers, MLAs, and MPs are made by our votes. As citizens, we own the right to vote and take part in different democratic activities throughout our life. But in our old age, we are left with nothing.”
The members of the committee have called for chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s intervention on the matter. They have decided to intensify their movement and opt for an indefinite sit-in protest from May with the support of the troubled masses.
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