Jharsuguda Jan, 24:The Annual General Meeting of the Jharsuguda District Railway Retired Employees’ Association was held at the Kanakdurga Puja Mandap near Jharsuguda Railway Station. The meeting commenced under the hospitality of former Jharsuguda Chairman Tapas Raye Choudhury.
Among those present on the मंच were chief speaker Randhakar Pradhan; Association President S. Chakraborty; Vice Presidents D.P. Mishra and G.P. Behera; H.S. Buda; Secretary B.P. Saxena; Treasurer Sanyasi Pattnaik; Sanjibani Mukharjee, Secretary of the CRP Divisional Committee; N.R. Majhi of the Tata Branch; and Prabhakar Rao, Secretary of the Tata Branch.
The speakers expressed deep anguish over the plight of employees who devoted their entire lives to service, only to feel helpless in their old age. They stated that during their years of service, they sacrificed time with their villages, homes, parents, siblings, children, and even attended to their ailing spouses, dedicating themselves tirelessly to their jobs as their sole means of livelihood. Now, in old age, they feel that the hope of sustaining the rest of their lives through pension support is gradually fading.
Despite repeated appeals to the government, they alleged that their hopes have not been fulfilled. They expressed concern that the government, in whom they had placed their trust to safeguard their future through a secure pension system, is instead weakening the pension व्यवस्था. They pointed out that political leaders and ministers become eligible for pensions after serving merely 40 days, whereas lifelong employees who worked tirelessly do not receive adequate pension benefits.
In protest against this alleged injustice, the association proposed that all employees would take to the streets on February 22 to press their demands.
The programme was conducted by B.K. Samal and Sunil Chakraborty, who concluded the event by extending a vote of thanks to all the guests and members present.
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