Parliamentary committee has recommended increasing the minimum monthly pension under EPS-95 by ₹1,000. The committee has described the current amount as inadequate. It also includes other suggestions like providing social security to contract and gig workers.
New Delhi: There is a good news for employed people. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development has presented an important report on Tuesday. In this report, it has been recommended to immediately increase the minimum monthly pension received under the Employees’ Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95). The Committee believes that the current minimum monthly pension of ₹1,000 is too low considering today’s inflation and rising expenses. This amount is insufficient to meet even the basic needs of any person.
Let us tell you that pensioners have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since March 9. Their demand is that the minimum monthly pension should be increased to ₹7,500. The committee has suggested that the Central Government should consider ways to provide more financial assistance for this scheme through the budget.
Second major recommendations of the parliamentary committee
Apart from increasing the pension, the committee has also given many other important suggestions…
Protection to contract workers: Contract workers who do the same work as permanent employees face delay in getting compensation at the time of an accident. The committee has said that it should be ensured that such employees get the benefits of ESI and PF on time.
Registration of gig workers is necessary: Registration of gig workers working for online platforms on the ‘e-Shram’ portal should be made mandatory. With this they will be able to get facilities like insurance and accident cover.
Mining and Security: A complete database of all the mines, registered and unregistered, in the country should be prepared. Strict action should be taken against illegal mining so that the safety of workers can be ensured.
Scope of ESI increased: To provide social security to more and more employees, the process of changing the salary limit under ESIC should be expedited.
Financial Discipline: The Labor Ministry should strike a balance between budget allocation and expenditure. Also, money should be properly set aside in the budget for IT infrastructure and awareness programs.