Plight of the pensioners

The present government has been very considerate in the welfare of their employees. During its two consecutive terms, two pay commissions have been formed and their recommendations have been accepted with minor modifications.

The last pay commission formed in 2015 had by and large recommended a pay rise by nearly 100 percent of all categories of government employees which has been accepted and implemented. In conformity with the pay scale, the pay and allowances of the president, prime minister, ministers and MPs have also been increased in the same proportion.

As an old pensioner, I feel that the formulators of the Pay Commission 2015 have not been so considerate with the pensioners. Instead of recommending 100 percent increase, (as has been done in respect of serving personnel) the pay commission copied the recommendation of the pay commission of 2009. This is: a 50 percent increase in case of pensioners 65 years of age and above, and 40 percent increase in case of pensioners below 65 years of age. It may be noted that the pay commission of 2009 recommended a general rise in the pay scale of the government employees by around 60 percent. It may also be noted that the pensioners don't get pension uniformly; pension of a person depends on his/her date of joining the pension establishment and the pay scale that existed at that time. There are some pensioners who retired when the Pakistan pay scale was in vogue and the maximum pay of government employees was Tk 2000 (pre-1975 period). For them and also for those who retired under the scales recommended by next one or two pay commissions (despite routine increases being are ridiculously low) get a meagre amount when compared with the current rate of pension and cost of living.

 I am quite aware that the pensioners are a spent-up force and are not in a position to exert any influence. Therefore, it is our hope that our PM and finance minister will take a rational view on the plight of the senior citizens and increase the pensioners' allowances like the serving government employees.