NEW DELHI , INDIA / The Hindu / Pension / May 8, 2012
 |
Feeling excluded':Participants at the Pension
Parishad dharna in New Delhi on Monday demanding
universalisation of pension for the elderly.
- Photo: Sandeep Saxena
|
Demands for a universal pension scheme got bolstered
with a large number of underprivileged people including farmers,
domestic workers, single women, disabled persons, sex workers and
trans-genders from more than 20 States beginning a five-day dharna at
Jantar Mantar here on Monday.
The campaign for
universalisation of Rs.2,000 as monthly pension for every elderly above
60 years in age and does not come under the tax slab is being
spearheaded by Aruna Roy of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan (MKSS)
along with Dr. Baba Adhav, the veteran leader of the unorganised workers
in Maharashtra.
Addressing the protestors, Ms. Roy
said: “Pension is a right that the aging working poor have earned by
virtue of having given the best years of their lives to contribute to
the economy. They have grown food for the country's population, built
houses and highways, cleaned streets, collected materials for recycling,
cooked food and looked after households and assembled electronic
goods.”
“Society must provide a decent pension for
these people when they are no longer able to work. From where do you
expect these poor people to pay for every thing, especially when you
don't provide them even half the minimum wages?” Ms. Roy asked.
At
present, all elderly over 60 years from the Below Poverty Lines
category get Rs.200 per month as pension under the Indira Gandhi
National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) with the State governments
adding usually lesser and in some cases higher amount to the pension.
According
to rough estimates there are around two crore beneficiaries of the
Government pension scheme against the total elderly population of 10
crore.
The Pension Parishad, an assembly of
organisations demanding a universal pension scheme, has rejected the
IGNOAPS pension calling it “pittance” which can't ensure a dignified
living to the elderly.
“The Government pension is a
pittance which is in no way sufficient for the elderly. That is why we
are asking for at least Rs.2,000 or half the minimum wage whichever is
higher,” said Nikhil Dey, leader of MKSS, who is also part of the
Pension Parishad.
On the issue of locating money for
the scheme, Prabhat Patnaik, former member of the Kerala State Planning
Board and member of the UN Commission, said the State has to do the
needful. “If a child doesn't get food, you don't blame the child. In the
same manner if the elderly starve, it is the State's duty to ensure a
dignified living to them who can't be blamed for being poor.”
Patnaik
said that with 14 per cent (Centre and State combined) India has the
lowest tax GDP ratio in the world so it has enormous amount of potential
to increase taxes.
Referring to the Arjun Sengupta
Committee which had talked about modest cess increase of 0.5 per cent to
generate funds for social welfare schemes, Mr. Patnaik said even if the
government increases the tax by 2 more per cent to 16 per cent, India
will still be the country with lowest tax GDP ratio and its elderly
population will be able to live a decent life as well.
During
the public hearing, most of the elderly talked about extreme despair
and how they felt excluded from all entitlements and services even as
they struggling to hold their lives together.
Sixty-seven-year-old
Ramani Devi doesn't have anyone except a son who has abandoned her in
her village in Rajasthan. Now she is left at the mercy of her
neighbours. She doesn't get the pension because she doesn't have a BPL
card.
“Even if I tell you (what I eat to survive),
will you never be able to imagine what I eat?” said Ms. Devi when asked
how she survives. Now only the hope for a decent pension has brought her
to Delhi from the interiors in Rajasthan.
Copyright © 2012, The Hindu
Senior Citizens Organizations like Helpage India , Silver Inning Foundation , AISCCON have extended their support to ' Pension Parisad' .
Programme from May 8 - 11
8th
– Public hearing on
Accountability and Grievance Redress related to Pensions and
entitlements for the elderly. The Grievance Redress Bill will
also be discussed.
9th – Public hearing
on issues of marginalised and vulnerable groups
10th – Public hearing
on issues related to the National Food Security Bill and food security of the elderly
11th – Pension Parishad
discussion on the response to the charter of demands. Planning the way forward.
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Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.
