Cooch Behar, Oct. 12 -- With Durga Puja approaching, retired employees of Cooch Behar Municipality are struggling to meet their daily expenses due to delays in pension payments. Demanding immediate clearance of their dues, they staged a protest outside the municipality office on Monday morning.
The protest was organised under the banner of 'Retired United Municipal Workers, Cooch Behar Municipality'. The pensioners warned that their agitation would continue until their grievances were addressed.
"There are eight members in my family, and we depend on my pension to run the household. Children are at home during the Puja season, but we have not even been able to buy them new clothes," said protester Deepak Harijan.
Rabindranath Ishore, secretary of the organisation, alleged that the municipality's financial management had led to recurring pension delays.
He claimed that pensions were previously credited regularly on the first of every month, but timely payments had now become a problem.
Ishore said many retired employees were ill and depended on their pensions for medical treatment. Several families also relied on the money to meet their everyday expenses.
With Puja approaching, the delay has added to their financial difficulties. The protesters demanded immediate payment of their pending pensions and a permanent solution to the recurring problem, warning that they would continue their agitation until their demands were met.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.