Pension Forum in Kanpur Demands 8th Pay Commission, Threatens Nationwide Agitation

At its Kanpur meeting, the Pension Forum demanded the urgent formation of the 8th Pay Commission and raised issues like DA arrears, railway concessions, CGHS reforms, and OPS restoration. Leaders warned of a nationwide “do or die” agitation.

By Dharmendra Bajpai Aug 17, 2025, 17:09 IST

Kanpur: The executive committee meeting of the Pension Forum was held at Chitragupt Dharamshala, Govind Nagar, under the chairmanship of Rajesh Kumar Shukla. Addressing the gathering, General Secretary Anand Awasthi expressed concern that the Central Government has yet to announce the formation of the 8th Pay Commission, despite its earlier declaration. He warned that if the panel is not constituted soon, employees and pensioners may not receive any benefits from January 2026.

He further said that all central and state pensioners may have to unite for a major movement, which, once initiated, will continue until its final resolution.

Key Demands Raised

Implement the Koshiyari Committee recommendations for EPS-95 retirees with a minimum pension of ₹7,500 plus dearness relief.
Payment of 10 months’ pending dearness relief/allowance.
Restore pre-COVID concession of senior citizen discount on railway fares.
Immediate constitution of the 8th Pay Commission.
Extend CGHS facilities to retired IIT employees.
Introduce additional pension benefits at ages 65 (5%), 70 (10%), 75 (15%), and 80 (20%).
Exempt pension from income tax.
Provide Bharat Darshan travel concession to all retirees every two years.
Reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Awasthi also raised concerns regarding alleged corruption in CGHS administration, citing instances like the Meerut CBI case. He accused some officials of collusion with hospitals and criticized pensioner groups who accept honours from private hospitals, saying this prevents them from protesting substandard services.

B.L.L. Gulbia, President of the Rajkiya Pension Sangathan, Kanpur, said the government has failed to act on both the pay commission and the long-pending release of 18 months’ DA arrears withheld during the pandemic. He declared that on the occasion of Kranti Diwas, pensioners would remember the martyrs and launch their agitation.

Chairman Rajesh Shukla remarked that the time for waiting is over and that the situation has now become “do or die.” He urged all pensioners to unite and intensify protests until the government sets up the 8th Pay Commission and ensures equal benefits as per previous commissions.

Additional General Secretary Satyanarayan proposed that letters addressed to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister should be sent regularly until the government accepts and implements the demands.

The meeting concluded with wide participation from senior pensioner representatives, including Neelam Shukla, S.M. Tiwari, Subhash Bhatia, B.P. Srivastava, B.P. Vikram, Arunesh Tiwari, Ashok Kumar, Dhanraj Singh, Ramesh Chandra, and many others.