CPI(M) MP John Brittas writes to Union Labour Minister urging to implement SC's judgment on higher pension

CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Monday wrote to the Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav calling for the immediate implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on higher pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme.

He pointed out the impertinence by EPFO in complying with the judgment dated November 4, 2022, of the Supreme Court.

Dr. John Brittas in a Letter to Union Minister said that there are 75,33,166 pensioners under EPS as of date and 6,79,78,581 contributing members during the last year.

"A majority of these EPF pensioners get a minimum pension of Rs. 1000/-. Out of the total 75.33 lakh pensioners in the country, around 40 lakhs are getting less than Rs.1,500 p.m. It is at a time when around 4000 crores are lying in inoperative accounts. The quantum of corpus available with EPFO as of 31.03.2022 was Rs. 18,64,136 crore, of which the share of EPS was Rs. 6,89,210.72 crore," the letter read.

"To add to the woes of these hapless pensioners, EPFO had adopted an all-out strategy of challenging the pensioner-friendly verdicts of various high courts to disburse higher pension commensurate to the employers' contribution paid on the actual salary, which culminated in the promulgation of the latest Supreme Court Judgment. Through years of agonising legal battle brought on some solace by virtue of this judgment, the EPFO is out to snatch even this higher pension facility which would be a boon to around 10 lakh old aged pensioners for whom employers contributed on actual salary," he added.

"The Supreme Court categorically directed EPFO vide para 44(ix) of the judgment to comply with its directives within a period of eight weeks," he added.

John Brittas MP, in his letter, demanded the Union Minister to give urgent directions to EPFO to issue a circular and roll out an online facility in no time so as to enable those employees, who have continued in service on or after September 1, 2014, to submit joint options online with EPFO to claim higher pension, considering the fact that the time period of four months granted by Supreme Court for the employees for submitting fresh option will soon expire on March 4, 2023.

( With inputs from ANI )