Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 17: Pensioners all over the country observed today as National Pensioners Day to remember the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court on 17.12.1982 on the DS Nakara Pension case. The National Coordination Committee of Pensioners had given a call to organize mass demonstration in the District Headquarters demanding (i) Withdraw the decision to categorize pensioners, Validation of Pension Rules and ensure parity in pension and (ii) To include pensioners in the Terms of Reference of 8th Central Pay Commission.
In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the Government Pensioners Association, Andaman & Nicobar Islands organized the Mass Demonstration in front of the Secretariat Entrance Gate at Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) which was inaugurated by P. Banerjee, Vice President, Govt Pensioners Association. He criticized the government for differentiating the pensioners based on their date of retirement. Speaking on the occasion, R. Surendran Pillai, Organising Secretary of the Pensioners Association trade the history of the DS Nakara judgement.
Addressing the participants in the mass demonstration, D. Ayyappan, Vice President, CITU A & N State Committee said that the Supreme Court in the DS Nakara case had laid down that “Pension is neither a bounty, nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of the employer, nor an ex-gratia payment. It is a payment for the past services rendered. It is a social welfare measure rendering socio-economic justice to those who in the heyday of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age they would not be left in the lurch”
R. Rajendran, General Secretary, Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association also spoke on the occasion. Suresh Lall, General Secretary, Govt Pensioners Association welcomed the participants in the mass demonstration.
