An humble Appeal for the Unconscionable Plight of EPS 1995 Pensioners.

By email 25th june 2025

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To
Dr Shashi Tharoor ji , honourable member of parliament, new delhi
office@tharoor.in
shashi.tharoor@nic.in

An humble Appeal for the Unconscionable Plight of EPS 1995 Pensioners.

Respected sir .
It is with profound concern and a heavy heart that we bring to your esteemed attention the dire and increasingly desperate situation faced by the beneficiaries of the Employees’ Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS 1995). These are individuals who, after dedicating their prime years to nation-building, are now condemned to a life of abject poverty and indignity, their pleas for justice echoing unheard.

For years, millions of EPS 1995 pensioners have been trapped in a pathetic cycle of dependency, their lives a stark testament to the systemic failures of our social security net.

They endure an unspoken, hardened existence, stripped of their socio-economic security and basic human dignity.

Their pensions, unrevised and stagnant for far too long, shockingly range from less than Rs 1,000 to a mere about Rs 3,000 at their absolute maximum – amounts that undeniably place them far below the poverty line.

The plight of EPS 1995 pensioners stands in stark and painful in striking contrast with the disparity in dignity to the treatment of other vulnerable groups. Consider, for instance, the commendable efforts of states like Andhra Pradesh, where the Honorable Chief Minister, Shri Chandrababu Naidu, has championed the cause of senior citizens providing a dignified old-age pension of Rs 4,000 to those who may not have contributed directly through formal service, recognizing their inherent right to a life of respect and well-being.

.This compassionate gesture, honoring their contributions to society and upholding their constitutional right to life, has rightly earned him widespread goodwill.

Yet, tragically, the very individuals who toiled tirelessly, contributing significantly to our nation’s economic fabric, find themselves in a critical, chaotic and Disarray position.

These are the EPS 1995 pensioners who rendered 25 to 40 years of essential service, often at the cost of their health and well-being, working day and night in challenging environments.

From hazardous chemical industries and robust construction material production (cement, steel , mines essential goods etc ) to vital transport services, these dedicated individuals have contributed to approximately 186 types of industries across the length and breadth of our country, in both public and private sectors.

Their prescribed wage contributions made though out the service that has fueled the very pension fund now denies them a livable existence, despite their unparalleled role in the nation’s visible growth.

It is a profound indictment of our system that criminals incarcerated for various offenses are afforded better treatment, ensuring their individual dignity, access to proper food, and healthcare facilities.

In contrast, the desperate cries with choke voice in the advanced old age of our pensioners who committed no crime but dedicated their lives to service, remain unheard by any pillar of government, inclusive of honorable national human rights commission new delhi despite the knowledge of the issue given to it repeatedly.

One could imagine the unbearable Ground Reality of pensioners surviving on scraps and their sheer human suffering.

Approximately 7.8 million EPS 1995 pensioners are scattered across the country, trying to survive on unliveable pensions that barely cover the most basic necessities.

Many coming from lower starta income background with no other source of income and having kept an ardent hope of life security with fair amount of pension that turned into Namesake pension not served of it’s purpose and failed of social security , being dependent only upon pension income are now supportless, helpless, and even shelterless, often estranged from the nuclear family structures prevalent today.

Their lives are a testament to immeasurable suffering and a merciful, pathetic dependency on others, devoid of even the most basic financial freedom.

Anyone with an ounce of humanitarian empathy can grasp the ground reality of their agonizing existence.

The fundamental flaw lies in the pension calculation. Pensions are determined based on ceiling wages, completely disregarding their actual last-drawn wages.

Furthermore, only service specifically under EPS 1995 is accounted for, ignoring years of contributions under FPS 1971 where applicable. Crucially, these meager pensions are NOT indexed with inflation by Dearness Allowance (DA), meaning their purchasing power constantly erodes.

This results in a truly unliveable minimum pension of only Rs 1,000 for superannuated service, and even less for those who retired prematurely due to many contributing factors like company closures on loss or medical and other compelling grounds etc even after 25 years or more of dedicated service.

Despite Decades-Long Struggle for Justice over a decade the tragic saga of these EPS 1995 pensioners and their untold miseries has, astonishingly, failed to elicit a serious, resolute response from the honorable government.
In spite of continuous unrest, marked by non-stop agitations and protests across the country at new delhi , dist and state capitals by state-level and national pensioner’s associations, and the submission of countless memorandums, this egregious injustice remains unaddressed continuing only by oral pacifying assurances by the honorable labour minister.

Numerous honorable Members of Parliament have eloquently articulated the pensioner’s grievances within the very halls of power – law makers institution – parliament. Individual pensioners and pensioners association executives have tirelessly presented their compelling arguments against this unjust pension system.

Yet, the replies consistently fall back on the rigid concept of “Defined Contribution – Defined Benefit” of EPS 1995, implying no scope for pension enhancement and effectively slamming / knocking the door on any remedy.

The undeniable truth is that no problem exists without a solution but the existing policy of pension system of EPS 95 still continues for over decades regardless of it’s ill consequences faced by the pensioners.

The Dignity and economic security warrants now in the context that the most dire and immediate need for EPS 1995 pensioners is an inflation-adjusted (DA-linked), adequate minimum pension amounting to not less than Rs 10000 reflecting the national average cost of a dignified life.

Furthermore, they must be offered the option for a higher pension based on their last-drawn wages, without any discriminatory conditions, encompassing their total contributory service to the pension fund.

This is not a luxury; it is the fundamental requirement for living a decent life, protected by socio-economic security, free from the crushing mental burden of perpetual dependency in their last phase of life.
A Humble and Sincere Appeal for Your Intervention.

In this critical context, we humbly and sincerely appeal to your kind self, recognizing your esteemed position and humanitarian commitment.

We implore you to extend your kind humanitarian help by initiating urgent discussions with the Honorable Prime Minister for a swift resolution to the demand for an inflation-adjusted adequate minimum pension. A cabinet decision by the Central Government to settle this matter at the earliest is paramount.
This will finally allow these pensioners to emerge from their critical life situation and experience the unburdened, easeful years they so richly deserve – years that should be filled with happiness and pleasure with their children and grandchildren, rather than the deprivation they currently endure.
We place our full confidence in your distinguished office, held in high honor within the opposition INC party, to champion this cause with the Honorable Prime Minister.
Exhausted of all out efforts made till now We are approaching your kind self in this matter with the unwavering belief that you will come forward with the necessary steps to rescue millions of our senior citizens from this protracted agony.

A good expert economist with the knowledge of better management of funds does help to work out the fair pension out of the contributed pension fund corpus that lies with the EPFO nearing 9 lakh crores.

Your decisive intervention will earn you the profound goodwill and best wishes of millions of EPS 1995 pensioners across the nation, a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.

I shall highly be obliged if you kindly acknowledge the receipt of this appeal in response given the position of my senior age doing voluntary free social service over years without any contribution from anybody for the cause of EPS 95 pensioner’s life betterment in twinkling years.

With high regards,
Sincerely yours

ShamRao. G , EPS 95 pensioners Activist & National Secretary EPS 95 pensioners coordination committee, Bidar, karnataka.
Email:shamraobidar308@gmail.com Ph : 9632885896

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