Netizens demand pension for all

Abhinav Vashisht

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Kullu, March 1

As employees have raised their demand for the restoration of the old pension scheme, various posts seeking pension for all citizens have been doing the rounds on social media.

A netizen has written that when every person pays direct and indirect taxes on almost everything, why are most of them denied pension and only some enjoy the benefit? The government treasury must help everyone, he says.

A post reads that “leaders and government employees are only four or five per cent of the entire populace but only they take the advantage of the treasury of the government and indulge in protests, strikes and dharnas. The protest in front of the Assembly, while the state is reeling under a debt of over Rs 65,000 crore, was not justified”.

The writer says that “employees receive salary of lakhs of rupees and get promotions and increments. They also get medical benefits and gratuity. They are even honoured on Republic Day and Independence Day. Demanding more will add burden on taxpayers, so the employees should make justified demands”.

Bharat, another social media user, says farmers, labourers, shopkeepers etc are overburdened with work and taxes but they have no social security. He adds, “Every person ensures participation in the development of the state and the country in one way or the other. Whether it is a government employee or a private sector employee, whether it is a businessman, or a mason, labourer, or a farmer, every person has equal participation. When everyone’’s participation is equal, then pension should be paid to everyone”.

Another user says that “no one should be given pension just because he or she has served in the government sector. With this, corruption will decrease and people will not bribe agents to get government jobs”.

A user has commented that “pension and free health care should be available to all. Injustice should not be done to the remaining 85 per cent of the public, just to please 15 per cent of government employees, MLAs, MPs and their families,” he adds.