Provide pvt sector staff pension cover: Rajan Sushant

Chamba, April 19

Former MP and Himachal Regional Alliance (HRA) chief Rajan Sushant yesterday pleaded for a policy bringing the employees of private sector under pension cover after retirement on the lines of government pension scheme.

He said there was ample scope of bringing about improvement and eradicating unemployment in the state. There were two sectors providing jobs – government and private. But, both the BJP and the Congress were insensitive to the unemployed youths of the state and were not serious about the grave issue of unemployment.

Sushant said as per the statistics given by the state BJP government, about 42,000 people were given jobs during the past three years, while there were 14 lakh unemployed youth in the state.

The mid-day meal, anganwari, ASHA, PTA, SMC, outsource, contract workers and others were not being regularized, Sushant alleged; adding that even after completing about 30 years of service they were retiring without pension.

Sushant said around 5.50 lakh people were working in the private sector in Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh, Paonta Sahib, Kala Amb, Tahliwal and Una, but hardly 20 per cent of Himachalis had been given jobs.

“Most of the employees and workers are getting a salary of about Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 per month which was insufficient. A minimum salary of at least Rs 10,500 should be paid to them and the Minimum Wages Act should be implemented in toto”, Sushant contended.