T HE government has enhanced employees` salaries and pensions by 10 per cent while announcing the budget. This is much less than the expectation of a 25 per cent increase.
The Employees Old Age Benefits Institution pensioners who have been getting Rs 5,250 for the past four or five years were hoping that their pensions would also be enhanced to the level of a labourer`s wages fixed at Rs13,000 and increased to Rs15,000 in this budget.
No heed has been paid in the budget. This segment of society spent a better part of their lives in the service of the state but not a single penny was increased in the paltry handout that is given to them as pension.
