Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 2: A delegation of the J&K Employees, Pensioners and Senior Citizens United Front (JKEPSCUF) today met members of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) at the SKICC here and submitted a memorandum seeking enhanced pension benefits and welfare measures for retirees in J&K.
The delegation, led by JKEPSCUF Chairman Rafiq Ahmad Khanyari, urged the Commission to address the economic challenges faced by pensioners in the region and consider their demands on humanitarian grounds.
The Front highlighted the impact of harsh winters, rising living costs and limited employment opportunities since the 1990s, arguing that many households continue to depend heavily on pension incomes.
Among its key demands, the Front sought an increase in the minimum monthly pension from Rs 9,000 to Rs 15,000, citing escalating inflation and higher expenditure during winter and snowfall periods.
The memorandum also called for raising the monthly medical allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 3,000 and introducing mandatory annual health check-ups for pensioners aged 60 years and above.
The delegation said the move would help address disparities with neighbouring Ladakh, where pensioners receive a higher medical allowance.
The Front further demanded regular inflation-linked safeguards to protect pensioners’ purchasing power and sought an increase in family pension to 60 per cent of the last pay drawn.
It also called for lifelong full pension coverage for disabled dependents.
Another major demand was the removal of disparities arising from different retirement dates, with the delegation urging strict implementation of Supreme Court rulings on pension parity.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
