Bleak future for retired staff

Bleak future for retired staff

R. SRIKANTH


There has been a delay in disbursal of pension and other retirement benefits to them

Thousands of former employees of the eight transport corporations in the State no longer have the pleasure of a ‘happy’ retired life, as they are staring at an uncertain financial future. The reason is delayed payment of pension and other retirement benefits.

The delayed payment of commuted pension, dearness allowance arrears and in certain cases the pension amount itself is driving employees to take desperate measures. More than 8,000 retired employees are running from pillar to post to get their pension benefits.

M. Natarajan, who worked as a driver for Tirunelveli Transport Corporation at Kovilpatti depot, distressed at having to wait for several months to get the commuted pension amount, committed suicide.

The family members of R. Jayaraman, who worked as a driver in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) at Basin Bridge depot, were not able to save him, because of lack of funds.

Mr. Balakrishnan said except for employees of MTC and State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) the other six transport corporations — Madurai, Villupuram, Kumbakkonam, Salem, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore — have been defaulting on various retirement benefits.

Arumugam Nainar, secretary, Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation, said what was disheartening was the manner in which the commuted pension (one-third amount of the total pension amount paid in advance) entitled to an employee at the time of retirement was yet to be paid, but that ‘recovery’ was being carried out.

At present the commuted pension has been proposed to be paid in 24 monthly instalments, literally making a mockery of the commutation of pension system, he also added.