Reinstate statutory pension at the earliest: Kerala Secretariat Association

The Kerala Secretariat Association has demanded that the State government withdraw the panel appointed to study the report of the Contributory Pension Review Committee and reinstate statutory pension in the State at the earliest.

The association alleged here recently that the panel consisting of the Finance Minister, the Law Minister and the Chief Secretary has not even met once in the ten months since it was constituted. Roll-back of the contributory pension was part of the election promises made by the Left Democratic Front.

The Contributory Pension Review Committee headed by retired district judge S. Satheesa Chandra Babu also had observed that the roll-back does not entail legal hurdles, association president Irshad M.S. and general secretary Purushothaman K.P. said.

The government’s decision to appoint another panel to study the committee’s report shows its reluctance to return to the old pension scheme. On the other hand, the ‘Assured Pension Scheme’ announced by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal in the 2024-25 budget is not acceptable to the government employees, the association said.

The employees will strongly oppose any pension scheme that stipulates a share from them. Ideologically, the Left government cannot go forward with the contributory pension. That being the case, the continuation of the panel is pointless, the Kerala Secretariat Association said.

Published - September 19, 2024 06:14 pm IST