early times report
Srinagar, Oct 13: Expressing dissent over the Bill seeking retrospective hike in pensionary benefits of former legislators, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPI (M) State Secretary and MLA today appreciated Governor N N Vohra's decision of returning the Bill without approval.
While expressing reservations on the Bill seeking amendments to State Legislature Members Pension Act by virtue of which the former legislators would be entitled to payment of revised pension arrears for a period from 1 September 2009 to 20 April 2011, said it seems the government has not taken ground realities into consideration before clearing the bill in the Cabinet.
"I think the government has forgotten about its commitment to old age, widows and orphans who are yet to see any increase in their paltry pensions. Price rise and inflation isn't a problem faced only by legislators but the people are equally plagued by it. Approval of this Bill would have sent a wrong message to the people who have elected us to represent them not to break their backs by phenomenal increase in our salaries and pensions," Tarigami observed.
The CPI (M) leader remarked that the common man is constantly forced to bear the brunt of rising prices and inflation. "There is a big army of unemployed youth who are craving for jobs and other measures of engagement. There is no enhancement in the wages of ReTs, ReZs and SPOs. Likewise casual labourers, contractual and contingency paid workers engaged in PDD, RDD, floriculture, agriculture, hydraulic and other departments are also meagerly paid and even left wage-less for months together. Is this an appropriate time to increase pensionary benefits of legislators, is a question posed by people which need an answer from the government," Tarigami said.
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