SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Mar 12: Over 22,500 railway employees of the Dhanbad rail division will observe ‘Resistance Day’ at all 147 railway junctions, stations and halts of the division on Monday (March 14) for nullification of the National Pension System (NPS) and implementation of the old pension scheme.
Joint secretary cum spokesperson of the All India Railway Men’s Federation (AIRMF) Dhanbad division branch Nilkamal Khawas today said that as per the announced agitation programme railway employees would take out a procession from Hill Colony based union office and demonstrate at Dhanbad railway junction.
“Similar demonstration would be held simultaneously at all 147 junctions, station and halts that fall under Dhanbad railway division to mount pressure on the central government for withdrawing NPS and implementing old pension scheme”, said Khawas.
The joint secretary said that the ‘Resistance Day’ call has been given by Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary of the National Federation. East Central Railway union president D K Singh and general secretary SNP Srivastava have chalked out elaborate programmes for the success of the agitation.
NPS is a pension cum investment scheme of the central government which gives guaranteed market-based returns to employees. But railways employees have opposed this scheme.
Federation officials said due to Covid- 19 protocol, the union has decided to keep a one-day demonstration at the railway station. “Under Dhanbad rail division there are 14 union branches of employees and all have unanimously decided to observe ‘Resistance Day’ on Monday”, said Khawas.
In this regard, a meeting of the East Central Railway union Dhanbad division chapter was held on Friday evening and resolved to make the call of national federation success. Viswajit Mukherji, Parmeswar Kumar, Mantu Sinha, Subodh Kumar Singh, Biswajit Kumar, S Manjeswar Rao, Rishikesh Prasad Ray, Ritlal, TK Sahu, AK Das, RK Singh, SK Mahto, Islam Ansari, MK Mukesh, Raju Choubey, RK Prasad, Shambhu Nath, Santosh Kumar, Amit Kumar, Sandip Goswamy, Devanand Das and AK Das, the office bearers of the union were present at the meeting.
