Mass Demonstration against PFRDA Bill

The Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has staged a Mass Demonstration in front of the Secretariat at Port Blair at 4 p.m. today (2^nd September, 2013) to protest against the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill and New Pension Scheme.  The PFRDA Bill 2011 which was to come up for discussion and passage in the Lok Sabha today has been listed in the Agenda for 3^rd September, 2013 following the adjournment of the Lok Sabha today. The Confederation of Central Govt. Employees & Workers, New Delhi has called upon central government employees in the country to register their protest by organising various programmes against the PFRDA Bill and New Pension Scheme. 

Addressing the participants in the Mass Demonstration, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association said that the central government through the New Pension Scheme is trying to dismantle the existing defined benefit pension scheme which has been in vogue for a century in the country. He said that the PFRDA Bill empowers the government to extend the ambit to even all the existing pension schemes.  He said that if the Bill is passed, even those recruited prior to 1.1.2004 can also be brought under the New Pension Scheme.  He called upon the government employees in the islands to extend their support to the agitation being conducted by the Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers and the Non-Gazetted Govt. Officers’ Association in order to protect their pension.    Shri Sadanand Rai, President of the Association while addressing the gathering said that assured pension, as in the case of Members of Parliament, should be retained for all the central government employees.  Shri HL Presad, Vice President, Shri TS Sreekumar, Asst. General Secretary, Shri SL Vinjit, Joint Secretary, South Andaman Teachers’ Branch of the Association also addressed the gathering.  Shri Anand Raj, Secretary, Secretariat Sub-Committee proposed vote of thanks. 

Government employees numbering about 300 from various departments and Secretariat, among them a large number of women employees, attended the Mass Demonstration.