Consultative Committee of pensioners be formed soon: CM Virbhadra Singh

SHIMLA: A Joint Consultative committee of pensioners would be constituted within 10 days to resolve their issues, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said.

Presiding over the Silver Jubilee Convention of the State Level Pensioners Welfare Association at Hamirpur today, he expressed concern over the demand for extending the benefits on Punjab pattern.

Singh said that government is giving Punjab Scales to its employees and is not obliged to extend other benefits given by Boards and Corporations in Punjab to its employees.

"Our state employees or the few bodies and associations so formed should understand that we are a separate state and refrain from quoting Punjab pattern in every communique to the state government," Chief Minister said.

The state government had extended much more benefits to its employees as compared to the benefits given to employees of Boards and Corporations in Punjab he added.

However, he assured to look into other demands of the association sympathetically and agreed in principle to all the genuine demands.

Jiwanand Jiwan, president of the association, urged the Chief Minister to implement the demand for 25 per cent increase in pension to the pensioners who have completed 80 years of age