Dharamsala rally over pending arrears, DA on October 17

The Joint Struggle Committee of the Pensioners’ Associations of Kangra district has announced that it will hold a protest rally in Dharamsala on October 17 to press for long-pending demands, including the release of arrears, payment of dearness allowance (DA), settlement of medical reimbursement bills and regular and timely disbursement of pensions.

Chairman of the Joint Committee of Pensioners, Suresh Thakur, urged the state government to take the matter seriously, warning that continued neglect of their genuine grievances could compel pensioners to intensify their agitation across the state. Addressing a meeting of various pensioners’ associations in Dharamsala, Thakur said retirees were being forced to protest because of what he termed the government’s “insensitive attitude” towards their legitimate demands.

He said pensioners from 18 government departments will gather at Cheelgadi Chowk near the Martyrs’ Memorial at 11 am on October 17. From there, they will march to Kachari Adda at noon, where leaders and speakers from the Joint Committee will address the rally. Later in the afternoon, around 2.30 pm, a delegation will submit a memorandum of demands to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra.

Thakur said the pensioners’ main concerns include the release of arrears for age-related allowances at ages 65, 70 and 75 that have remained pending since 2014, payment of DA arrears held back since 2015 and the need for a permanent system to ensure pensions are disbursed regularly on the first of every month. He also stressed the urgency of clearing long-pending medical reimbursement bills and the arrears of revised pay scales and retirement benefits — such as gratuity and leave encashment — due under the government’s January 1, 2016, pay revision.

Thakur added that the upcoming rally aims to remind the government of its responsibility toward retired employees who devoted their lives to public service and now seek only fairness, respect and timely relief in their post-retirement years.