Agartala, 19th September 2026 : Demanding revision of pensions under the Eighth Pay Commission and resolution of a range of financial and service-related issues, retired government employees and pensioners staged a two-hour demonstration in Agartala on Saturday.
The Forum of Civil Pensioners’ Associations, Tripura State, organised the dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue adjacent to the Circuit House from 11 am to 1 pm. The programme was part of the organisation’s ongoing nationwide movement against what it described as the Central government’s failure to address the concerns of pensioners and employees.
Forum convenor Bhupal Sinha said the organisation was continuing the second phase of its agitation after pursuing the issues through demonstrations, human chains, seminars and conventions over the past one-and-a-half years.
A key demand is inclusion of pension revision in the terms of reference of the Eighth Pay Commission. The forum also called for withdrawal of the Validation Act enacted on March 25, 2025, besides seeking pension parity, periodic Pay Commission revisions and interim financial relief during the revision process.
Among other demands, the organisation wants Dearness Relief to be merged with basic pension and basic pay once it reaches 50 per cent. It also sought early revision of salaries and pensions for employees and pensioners of banks, LIC and other autonomous organisations where such revisions have been pending.
Sinha said a memorandum containing the 11-point charter was submitted to the Prime Minister and the Central government on August 19, but no satisfactory response had been received.
The forum has announced a Parliament march in New Delhi on November 25, with Sinha claiming that more than 5,000 pensioners are expected to join the programme.
The Agartala protest also marked Martyrs’ Day in memory of employees who died during the nationwide token strike of September 19, 1968. Participants paid floral tributes and observed two minutes of silence. Sinha said 17 employees were killed during the repression of the strike.
The forum also appealed to participants to extend assistance to people affected by floods in Nepal.
Sinha said the agitation would continue until the government responds to the organisation’s demands.
