Kerala Pensioners body irked by Pay Commission decision

The decision of the ninth state Pay Commission to disburse the arrears of pension in four instalments a year instead of the conventional practice to pay in lumps has irked the Kerala State Service Pensioners Association.The Association has termed the move as inhuman as it was not at all helpful to the old and the ailing pensioners.In a statement issued here, the district president of the Association, K Ashok Kumar said that the Government Order instructing the payment of pension arrears within a year in four instalments at regular intervals of three months, by virtue of which the old and bed-ridden pensioners have to survive one more year for the receipt of last installment of arrears.There was no mention in the Pay Commission revision the conferment of Central pension benefits to the state pensioners. There was no initiative from the part of the State Government for formulating schemes to provide free medical facilities to the pensioners or to hike the existing medical allowance. The pensioners were also denied eligible arrears due from July, 2009 based on the nominal increase of the medical allowance.Source : Express Buzz.