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Old age pension can’t be linked to minimum wage, Centre tells SC
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The Central government on Friday rejected the suggestion linking old age pension with minimum wage saying that while minimum wage was earned, the old age pension was a social welfare measure.
Supporting the continuous mandamus of the plea before the court, Additional Solicitor General A.R. Nadkarni told the bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta that the old age pension is not earned, it is a welfare measure and its quantum can’t be decided by linking it to minimum wage.
He said that there were three crore people getting old age pension and if each one of them is to be given Rs 3,000 as is suggested by the petitioner Ashwani Kumar then it would amount to Rs 1.7 lakh crore and the total budget of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is Rs 1.12 lakh crore.
In the course of his arguments, petitioner Ashwani Kumar — a former Minister for Law and Justice in the UPA regime — told the court that every old person was given Rs 200 each as old age pension per month and said that now it should enhanced to at least 50 per cent of the minimum wage.
He founded his case on Article 21 — guaranteeing right to life.
Another petitioner told the court that what an old person was getting by way of old age pension can’t be less than what he was getting in 2007.
Seeking the linking of the old age pension with the price index, the petitioner in person said that the value of Rs. 200 that one was getting in 2007 has gone down substantially in 2018.
Citing the instance of Rajasthan, he said that there were 10 lakh people getting old age pension but later half of them were declared as duplicate and another 2.5 lakh were declared dead. He said in his own village nine out of 11 who were shown to be dead are alive.
As the Central government advanced the argument of the exponential burden that would fall on the exchequer if old age pension was hiked considerably, the counsel for Kerala said they were paying Rs 1,500 per month to every old person in the age bracket of 75 years plus.
The court was informed that Goa was paying Rs 2,000 per month.
The hearing will continue on December 3.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.