EOBI Pensioners are looking forward to some reliefs with immediate effect
It is widely accepted that food is a basic need for which we adopt various professions in our lives to get money and hereby we purchase different articles for our daily use. Of them, some are pensionable through which a specific amount is paid to the pensioners per month on the completion of minimum twenty-five-year service or after that they can take retirement at any time till attaining to age of 60 in case of Government servants while another type of pension awarded to EOBI pensioners only on behalf of Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) on attaining to age of sixty to private employees.
The first type of pension is awarded only to Government servants while even more than five workmen also can get EOBI pension if they are registered by their employers with EOBI and paid their contributions regularly during their service. This is open for each five group members working in the same place who deserve to EOBI pension. These two types of pensioners are getting their monthly pension sitting in their home and spending their lives with this amount. On behalf of the Government of Pakistan, it is a great help and co-operation for these pensioners who are getting monthly pension at that time when they are unable to do any work. Both pensioners are not only getting these pensions in their life even after their death their spouses also can receive them till their last breath of lives.
Generally every year the Government of Pakistan increases the monthly pension of Government servants (who retired after completing their Government jobs) in every budget keeping the inflation rate in mind. As a result every year their gross pension increases fairly large. So they are getting enough pensions on monthly basis. In the same perspective if we look we find that anyone falling in the category of this pension can get not less than Rs.10000 per month even family pensioners are also in the same level. On the other hand when we analysis EOBI pension, this is still less than ten thousand per month because they are given an increase now and then. So Government servant’s minimum pension is greater than the EOBI pensioner‘s maximum. It is very surprising to see that there is neither a regular system to increase EOBI pension nor any legislation that has been made since its formation to improve it.
Besides financial problems the EOBI pensioners in district Chitral are facing numerous issues when they are going to draw their monthly pension which too is highlighted here. There is no cheque system for EOBI pensioners to draw their monthly pension but for this purpose, they can use ATM cards only. In some backward and the remotest areas like Mulkhow, Torkhow, Mastuj, and Lotkhow in Chitral hardly we can find only one bank. In some times in case of any defect in ATM, the EOBI pensioners have to visit it again and again and without fruitful results, they go back.
Secondly, Only Bank Alfalah is designated by the Government of Pakistan for releasing EOBI pension throughout Pakistan. So due to the increase in EOBI pensioners day by day, it takes a long time in getting verification of ATM cards which need to be verified every six months, or expired ATM cards are replaced with new ones. For both cases, EOBI pensioners must visit the same bank for verification of their ATM cards. Here it seems necessary to mention that district Chitral is a scatter area having only one Alfalah Bank. Any person coming from Broghul or Gobor or Arandu to town takes one day to reach here. The next day they can visit the bank for verification of ATM cards. In case of getting verified their cards on the 3rd day, they can go their home. In this way, they will reach their home in three days. From Broghul to Chitral Rs. 1000 per head fare of the vehicle is charged for one side, food and hotel charging approximately for two days will be at least Rs. 3000. Similarly, the total cost will be above Rs. 5000 for one trip.
It has also been observed that some EOBI pensioners facing health problems or age cannot visit Chitral alone. They carry their relatives accompanied with them when they go to Chitral for verification of their ATM cards. In this situation their hoteling, food, and transportation expenses become double. Regarded this as exigent that if EOBI pensioners will spend a huge amount in every six months for verification of ATM cards. How will they spend their lives in the future?
With strongly hoping that the present Government under the sincere leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan will show seriousness in solving the poor EOBI pensioners’ issues along approving enough increase in their monthly pension with immediate effect. We are also awaiting that the present government will fulfill its commitment to enhancing EOBI pensioners up to Rs. 15000 per month and Insha Allah every pensioner falling in the same category receives the same amount in each month by mid of 2023. It is already stated that EOBI pensioners are spending crucial life. It is testimony despite economic crises all over the world that the present government of Pakistan has succeeded in giving some relief to various groups of people. Of them Sehat cards and Langar Khanas in some big cities are appreciable, however, the EOBI Pensioners as Being Pakistani both have the same rights. Despite this one group has the option to take a pension after completing twenty-five years of its service while the other has to wait till sixty years of age. Before sixty years it is not entitled to get any pension. The former group’s minimum pension is greater than the next group’s maximum pension.
The former group is getting enough increase in its pension in every year while the other group has been given an increase in its pension now and then. The former group gets its pension within two months after the announcement of the increase while it is given to the other group after a long time. Government pensioners can use cheques as well as ATM cards for drawing their monthly pensions while EOBI pensioners are not authorized to use cheques but they only draw their pensions through ATM cards. Due to defects in ATMs or any other reasons they face difficulties in drawing their monthly pensions. For example verification process takes a long time. For this purpose, they have to visit the designated bank daily. The former group can use any bank for his or her monthly pension whereas the other group is not entitled to use any bank except the designated bank by EOBI only.
It is that the present Government has taken various initiatives to bring change in Pakistan. Of them launching of Single National Curriculum in our country, issue of Insaf Sehat Cards and Ehsaas program are mostly appreciable.
It is a Fact the food commodities and other daily use articles prices have gone up. This situation has created a panic among the people and everyone is victimized to anxiety. Secondly, there is a growing concern on educational expenses particularly in University level semester fees and hostel expenditures have risen to the sky. Hence many EOBI pensioners are unable to send their children to universities for higher education. Honestly speaking to manage domestic as well as other expenses from this tiny amount (EOBI pension) is going out of their approach and they are spending miserable lives. They believe that the government is always playing the parental role for its people. In the same spirit, EOBI pensioners are looking for immediate support from the government’s side in terms of an increase in their monthly pension.
Food is a basic need for which everyone to be found engage domestics as well as abroad for various activities. EOBI Pensioners are looking forward to being full filed of present Government’s commitment of Rs. 15000 per month which has been made.
Farman Ajab
Village Charun Owir
Tehsil Mastuj District Upper Chitral
