Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, October 8
Hundreds of retired employees of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) are preparing for a major protest in Shimla on October 15 after not receiving their pensions for the months of August and September. Citing the state’s deteriorating financial situation, the pensioners said they have been left struggling to meet basic expenses. Many have accused the government of neglecting its retired workforce despite repeated appeals for timely payments.
The HRTC Pensioners’ Joint Struggle Committee said that over 8,000 retired employees, along with their families, are expected to gather outside the corporation headquarters in Shimla. The committee’s secretary, Rajendra Thakur, said many elderly pensioners have been forced to depend on their children due to the prolonged delay.
“At this age, such a situation is extremely painful,” Thakur said, adding that the government had ignored the pensioners’ demands for the past two years. He also noted that those who retired after March 2024 had yet to receive their first pension payment.
Thakur warned that the government would face consequences in the upcoming panchayat and 2027 assembly elections if it failed to resolve the issue promptly.
Meanwhile, other categories of state pensioners have also raised concerns over the non-payment of Dearness Allowance (DA), arrears, and medical reimbursements. The Joint Struggle Committee of Pensioners has announced a statewide protest on 17 October, warning of a larger movement if their 14-point charter of demands is not addressed.
The committee said it was also considering a gherao (siege) of the state secretariat, accusing the government of ignoring the grievances of senior citizens who had served the state for decades.
The Himachal Pradesh government has not yet issued an official response to the pensioners’ warnings.
