Pension Deprived NAC Employees Stage Protest In Odisha

Retired employees of the Barapali Notified Area Council (NAC) in Bargarh district staged a dharna in front of the NAC office protesting the non-payment of pension on Wednesday.

The protestors alleged that even after retiring from service years ago, they are yet to get pension benefits due to the lackadaisical attitude of the concerned officials.

One of the protestors said that the problem arose primarily because of the erroneous mention of their job profile in the service book. 

“Instead of OTS Tax, OTC Tax collector was mentioned in our service books for which we are deprived of the pension,” he said adding that many of the retired employees have died while waiting for the pension benefits.

 "I have been waiting for the last 9 years for pension, but nothing has happened as yet. Even after the Housing and Urban Development department directed the NAC official to make necessary correction in our service book, the required changes have not been made," alleged Laxmi Naryan Jena Panda, a protestor.

"My colleague was eligible to get family pension. But unfortunately, he died and could not avail the benefits due to the callous attitude of the NAC officials," he alleged.

Meanwhile, the agitators have warned to intensify the protest if their demands are not fulfilled at the earliest.

"The the post was mentioned as OTC in the High Court judgment, in our appointment letter it was mentioned as OTS. Even in 1984, the State government had sanctioned our post as OTC. But the then desk clerk did not update the same in our service books for which we are not getting the pension," another protestor, Suresh Chandra Meher said.

 Barapali NAC officials could not be contacted for reaction over the matter.