It is regrettable to see many youngsters abandoning their parents in their old age, said Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Pon. Radhakrishnan.
He was addressing an Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation function organised here on Tuesday to mark the increase in minimum monthly pension amount to Rs. 1,000.
“I spoke to several pensioners here and found that most have been left to fend for themselves by their children. They were getting only Rs. 25 as pension, which was not enough even to buy two cups of tea now.”
While the Narendra Modi-led Government had taken up many initiatives in its 100 days of power, the move to hike the monthly pension ranked among the highest, he said.
On the apprehension of trade bodies, whose representatives spoke earlier, over the increase in mandatory wage ceiling for contributions to EPF scheme from Rs. 6,500 per month to Rs. 15,000, he said that the Centre was working to boost industrial growth which will increase workers productivity.
The Union Minister also made a call to 120 crore citizens of the country to take part in ‘Mission Swachh Bharat,’ the clean India campaign that is set for launch on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Pensioners could now view their balance and transfer funds from their accounts to another bank online. Without naming any party, he accused the previous Central Governments of not affecting a sufficient hike in pension amounts.
Speaking earlier, Anil O.K., Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I, said that Coimbatore, Tirupur and The Nilgiris district catered to 97,257 pensioners. Till now, 35,464 were receiving less than Rs. 1,000 per month. The regional office of EPFO was focussed on settling all claims in 20 days.
