A delegation of the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University Pensioners’ Sabha met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Dharamsala on Thursday and sought his intervention for the resolution of long-pending pension-related issues of retired employees of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur.
The delegation, led by sabha president Dr SP Sharma, submitted a memorandum highlighting the financial hardships being faced by pensioners due to delays in the release of retirement benefits, arrears, revised pension benefits, leave encashment, commutation amounts and other pending dues.
Representatives of the sabha informed the Chief Minister that many retired employees had been waiting for years to receive their legitimate benefits despite favourable court orders. They said the prolonged delay in the disbursement of dues had caused considerable distress among pensioners, many of whom were senior citizens dependent on their pensions for meeting their daily expenses and medical needs.
The delegation also expressed concern that several pensioners had passed away while waiting for the release of benefits they had earned through decades of dedicated service to the university. They urged the state government to ensure that university pensioners receive all benefits already granted to them by the Himachal Pradesh Government.
The sabha further requested the government to provide adequate financial assistance to the university so that all pending liabilities towards pensioners could be cleared in a time-bound manner. The sabha also sought establishment of a permanent mechanism to ensure regular and timely payment of pension benefits in the future and to prevent recurrence of such delays.
Chief Minister Sukhu patiently listened to the concerns raised by the delegation and assured its members that the matter would be given due consideration. He stated that the government would examine the issues sympathetically and take appropriate steps to address the genuine grievances of the pensioners.
Expressing optimism after meeting, members of the pensioners’ sabha said they hoped the state government would take positive steps to provide long-awaited relief to retired employees and their families by ensuring the early release of pending benefits.
