Parents of pensioners to get medical reimbursement; CM

Kangra, Dec 17 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today revoked the government's decision which was depriving the dependent parents and children of the pensioners from medical reimbursement facility.

He announced that the restoration of medical reimbursement facility in the respect of the dependant parents and children would be as it was before.

The Chief Minister made the announcement while addressing pensioners in the local Polytechnic College auditorium here on the occasion of the All India Pensioners day organised by HP State Pensioners Welfare Association.

He also revoked the government decision of enhancement of the rates of government rest houses and Circuit Houses in the state for the pensioners and said that previous rates would be charged from the pensioners.

He announced that Pensioner Homes would be constructed at the district headquarters in the state to provide facilities to the pensioners. He announced that one Pensioner Home each would be constructed at Dharamshala and Shimla in first phase.

On the occasion the pensioners demanded that the fixed medical reimbursement of Rs 25 and Rs 40 per months should be enhanced to Rs 350 on Punjab pattern, but the Chief Minister assured that Fixed Medical Reimbursement would be increased. He said that this enhancement would not be made in case of pensioners alone but the employees in service too would come under this purview.

He said his government was committed to the welfare of the pensioners and as such Rs 14 crore have been earmarked for their welfare in the state. He , however , refused to accept the demand of the pensioners that pension should be paid as per rules of the Punjab government. It would continue be be paid as per the central rules, he added.

Two major demands of the pensioners payment of one-month basic pension after every two years to a pensioner to enable him to enjoy leave travel concession on Punjab pattern and payment of five per cent additional amount of pension to those pensioners who had completed 65 years and 10 percent to those who had attained the age of 75 years, were however not accepted by the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister , however, said government notification would be issued during the current month regarding the grant of family pension at the rate of 30 per cent of the revised pay scales as revised on January one, 1996.

He said pensioners would be part of the Grievance Committees from state to sub divisional level.

UNI XC HS SB DB2052