Denied pension for 30 years, this 73 year old man runs from pillar to post

Shanti Ranjan Saha, a 73-year-old senior citizen joined the Central Electricity Authority in 1968 as a plumber-cum-fitter, and worked until 1979, after the management was shifted to National Thermal Power Corporation. He has not been able to withdraw pension for over 30 years now, and has been fighting for the release of his pension for more than 10 years now. However, he said that in these 10 years, he has just run from one department to another, visited different ministries, but in vain, he has not been given any assurance from a single concerned authority.

THE ISSUE: According to the NTPC, Saha had served for less than 10 years under the CEA and NTPC, which does not make him eligible for receiving pension, his years of service by the NTPC stands at few months less than 10 years, ending at 1978.

However, according to the documents provided by Saha, it is evident that he has completed 10 years of service. He joined the CEA on 31/12/1968, and worked until 1978 under CEA and then for another year until 1979 under NTPC which now denies the fact that he had served for 10 years.

To prove his point, Saha showed his joining letter in 1968 in the CEA, his leave application in the year 1978 to the CEA and also when he jpined office after transfer of power to NTPC in 1979, which proves that he has worked for more than 10 years. However, Shah alleged that the NTPC meddled with his documents and changed the dates according to their convenience.

Shah also showed documents in which important dates were scarapped, and new dates were put which according to Shah is done by the NTPC.

THE STRUGGLE: Shah has been unable to withdraw pension for the last 30 years, he owned a shop at CR Park in Delhi to earn his daily bread and butter, however, few years back he lost huge sum of money in the stock market. His son has no source of income and his waiting for a job. Shah says that he is facing problems in making ends meet.

Shah had previously written to the Prime Minister's office, and the Pension Grievance Office but has received no help. He also claims that employees who have not served 10 years are receiving pension, but he was at his hometown during the shift of power and because of that the could not protest when the NTPC allegedly meddled with his official papers.Shah is also writing to Power Minister RK Singh.

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