Pensioners slam govt over delay in release of payments

Day of protests: Pensioners, traders, Unemployed youths take to streets

Pensioners organised a protest against the delay in disbursement of their pension and arrears in Dharamsala on Friday.

Carrying banners and raising slogans against the state government, the pensioners turned up in a large number at the Martyr’s Park and marched towards the ‘kacheri’ crossing.

The vice-president of the pensioners’ association of Himachal Pradesh, Suresh Thakur, said they were protesting against the failure of the government in disbursing the pension in time.

“Last month, the pensioners got the pension on August 10. We have urged the government to release the payment in time every month as was the practice earlier,” he added. The protesters also alleged that many of them had not received their arrears.

Suresh Thakur said the condition of people, who have retired on January 1 this year, was more precarious. “Many of them have not been paid leave encashment and gratuity benefits. Now, they were being made to even wait for the pension,” he said. The association leaders were also annoyed at not being allowed to meet Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

They alleged that they had gone to meet the Chief Minister, but had to return empty handed.

The pensioners alleged that they had asked the state government to constitute a committee by September 15 to redress their grievances, but nothing was done, forcing them to take to the streets.

Traders protest against migrants in dharamsala

Dharamsala: The members of VHP and local traders associations carried out a march in Dharamsala to protest against the unauthorised construction of a mosque in the Sanjauli area of Shimla. The shopkeepers in Dharamsala kept their shutters down from 9am to 12pm to support the march. The protesters marched through the market raising slogans reflecting their religious solidarity. The traders alleged that their business was getting affected due to the presence of a large number of migrants. They were doing business as street vendors and hitting the interests of local businessmen, the traders alleged. The president of Dharamsala Beopar Mandal, Narendra Jamwal, said due to the migrant traders, their business was getting ruined, the peaceful valleys of Himachal Pradesh had also come under the shadow of crime. The state government needs to take strict action against them, said a businessman. They had also hijacked the local fairs, which had affected the business here, he added. TNS