Rajan Sushant gives up pension as MP, MLA
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, August 31
Former Kangra MP Rajan Sushant on Monday said he would be launching an agitation in the state for implementation of the old-age pension scheme for all government employees.
He said as a first step toward it he had submitted a letter to the Speaker of Parliament and Speaker of Himachal assembly that his pension both from the parliament and Himachal assembly should be stopped.
Sushant claimed he has become the first MP or MLA in the country who has given up government pension. “I shall not opt for pension as MP or MLA till oldage pension scheme for all employees was restored.”
Later, talking to The Tribune, Sushant said in Himachal even if a person becomes MLA for one day he gets a pension of about Rs 80,000 per month. “It was injustice with other working class that there are not getting any social security whereas politicians are enjoying hefty pensions.”
He said there are about 90,000 government employees in Himachal who are getting pension under the new pension scheme. They are just entitled to contributory pension that comes to just about Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per month. “This was injustice with employees of the state,” he said.
Sushant said he would sit on a dharna in front of the office of deputy commissioner, Kangra, from 11 am to 2 pm. “After this I shall be travelling all across the state and motivating the employees to join his movement for getting oldage pension scheme restored for them.”
He said the pension scheme was stopped for government employees across the country from January 1, 2004. “The old-age pension scheme was just like social security for working class. I have also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the pension scheme should be implemented again or else I would lead employees into agitation for their rights.”
