‘₹250 hike in pension is not enough’

The state government had on January 2 announced the increment in the pension from ₹2,000 to ₹2,250 per month with effect from January

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has expressed dissatisfaction over the ₹250 monthly hike in social security pension for nearly 28 lakh beneficiaries, including old-age pensioners.

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The state government had on January 2 announced the increment in the pension from ₹2,000 to ₹2,250 per month with effect from January.

Expressing resentment over the enhanced amount for old citizens, BKU state president Rattan Singh Mann said the coalition government in Haryana has betrayed the pensioners by introducing a meagre hike of ₹250.

“We will be holding protests at all district headquarters on January 16 against deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala for betraying old-age pensioners by not fulfilling his poll promise of giving ₹5,100 per month to them. We will submit memorandums to all deputy commissioners, demanding Dushyant Chautala to fulfil his poll promise,” he added.

The farmers’ leader said that they would launch an agitation against the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Dushyant Chautala if the demands of old-age pensioners are not met.

“Instead of negotiating with chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar over his poll promise made to the elderly people, Dushyant surrendered before him,” Mann said.

JJP state president Nishan Singh claimed that they were committed to fulfilling their poll promise, but “there were some compulsions in running a coalition government”.

“We will discuss the matter of social security pension in the meeting of common minimum programme, wherein leaders of both the BJP and JJP will take part to finalise the agenda of the coalition government,” he added.