Massive pensioners’ rally puts spotlight on delayed benefits

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, late in the evening, met a 38-member delegation representing various state pensioners’ organisations at the Vidhan Sabha complex in Tapovan. He assured them that their long-pending demands would be taken up on priority in the coming week, immediately after the ongoing winter session concludes. The delegation, comprising leaders from multiple employee and pensioner bodies, had been seeking a formal meeting with the Chief Minister to press their key financial and welfare concerns.

Earlier in the day, Dharamsala witnessed a massive gathering of pensioners and employees at the Police Ground, where thousands assembled in one of the largest protests by the community in recent years. Denied permission to march at Zorawar Stadium on their way to the Vidhan Sabha, the organisations mobilised at the Police Ground, for which prior approval had been secured. The rally was led by Ghanshyam Sharma, national senior vice-president of the Indian State Pensioners Federation and saw participation from representatives of 18 organisations from across Himachal Pradesh.

Addressing the crowd, leaders accused the state government of reneging on assurances made before the Assembly elections.