The LIC pensioners and employees staged lunch-hour demonstrations, on the banners of ICREA and ICEU, opposite the LIC Divisional Office here on Wednesday seeking an increase in the family pension.
They demanded family pension @ 30% of the last pay drawn, without ceiling at the time of exit of the employee, in place of the 15% of the last pay drawn which was in vogue and very meagre for the family to survive. The LIC management had forwarded proposal to the Central government a few years ago for its approval.
Despite the fact that the pension fund in LIC was sufficient to meet this small expenditure, the Union government was not acceding it, while it has earlier conceded the same demand for banks and the Reserve Bank of India, they alleged.
The employees and pensioners expressed their anguish at the inordinate delay by the Central government in clearing the issue and raised slogans condemning the attitude of the government. They submitted a memorandum to the Senior Divisional Manager requesting him to forward the same to the LIC Chairman for pursuing the issue with the government for immediate approval.
R. Pandu Rangan, general secretary, ICREA, N. Krishna Murty, honorary president, ICREA, and M. Kameswari, president, ICEU, addressed the gathering. The protest demonstrations were conducted in all branches under the Visakhapatnam Division.
