Bank retirees stage dharna demanding pension updation

Increase in welfare fund allocation for retirees, improvements in health insurance benefits and minimum pension of ₹10,000 for retirees among other demands

Members of United Bank Retirees’ Organisations staged a protest here on Tuesday, November 19, to draw the attention of the government to their long-pending demands. 

Andhra Pradesh Bank Retirees Federation president B.V.V. Kondala Rao, general secretary Yella Rao, All India Bank Retirees Federation chairman M.B. Sankar Rao, joint general secretary Viswanath Naik and others spoke. 

M.N. Rao called for the removal of GST on health insurance premiums paid by bank retirees and demanded a uniform minimum 50% subsidy on health insurance premiums. Furthermore, the entire health insurance premium for retirees should ideally be borne by bank management. The taxation on retirees without pension updates was unfair, he said.

The key demands include immediate pension updation, an increase in welfare fund allocation for retirees, improvements in health insurance benefits, a minimum pension of ₹10,000 for retirees, and removal of GST on health insurance premiums. Inclusion of special allowance in pension eligibility, uniform minimum subsidization of health insurance premiums across the industry, bank management to bear the health insurance premiums and implementation of industry-level settlements in private sector banks at par with PSU banks were some of the other demands. 

Published - November 19, 2024 08:56 pm IST