April 2, 2025
Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev’s Zero Hour mention on the concern over the delay in disbursement of pensionary benefits to government employees, and demanding the government remove the alleged discrimination that the amended Civil Service Pension Rules allows it to make by classifying the amounts retirees will get based on their date of retirement
Thank you, Sir, for having given me the opportunity. Sir, pensioners have served the country with dedication and denying them fair and timely pensions is unjustified. The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that the right to receive pension is equivalent to right to property under the Constitution. I quote: “Pension is neither a bounty nor a matter of grace.” It is a social welfare measure rendering socio-economic justice to those who in the heydays of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age they would not be left in the lurch. Sir, the recent amendments to the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules have given rise to some concern and I demand that the Government relooks at it. Sir, the concern is spreading fast among the State Government employees as well as the Central Government employees. The changes suggest that pensioners who retire before January 2026 may be deprived of the benefit of the Eighth Pay Commission creating an unfair distinction between retirees. This is unjust, Sir. The Employees’ Associations and Unions have strongly criticized this. According to the changes to the Civil Service (Pension) Rules, the Government has given itself a power to classify pensioners at its discretion. Such arbitrary policy-making violates the principles of fairness and transparency. Sir, as a good example, I look at the Seventh Pay Commission implemented in 2016, which ensured that pensioners, whether retired before or after 2016, received equal pensions. The principle of no discrimination between old and new pensioners has been repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court. The Government is now attempting to reverse this. Sir, according to Government data, by 1st March 2025, nearly 36.57 lakh Government employees and 33.91 lakh pensioners will be affected by these changes. The Central Government employees and pensioners are expecting a salary and a pension hike under the Eighth Pay Commission, which is also likely to be delayed. Reports suggest that the Government has also given itself the power to decide when to implement the Pay Commission’s recommendation and who should qualify for pension benefits, leaving lakhs of pensioners in a state of uncertainty. These pensioners have served the country with dedication and denying or delaying their fair pension is unjustified. Therefore, I urge the Government to ensure that all pensioners, no matter when they retire, receive their rightful benefits and enjoy parity under the Pay Commission. Thank you, Sir.
