Tamil Nadu Circle of All India BSNL Pensioners’ Welfare Association today urged the Centre to extend the benefit of the Seventh Pay Commission to BSNL retirees, who were also covered under the government pension scheme.

In a resolution adopted at the fifth circle conference here, the association said all the BSNL pensioners should be brought under the pay commission and extend the benefit with effect from January 2017. The association urged the government to settle the pension anomalies to those who retired between October 2000 and July 31 2001 and reintroduce medical allowance to them. Demanding a pension adalat once in three months and a national level pension adalat, the conference also urged to remove the parity in IDA (Industrial Dearness Allowance) pay scales of seniors.

Other demands included withdrawal of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act, not to allow FDI in pension fund, stop sale of shares of PSUs including BSNL.

“The BSNL should come forward to pay pension arrears of 78.2 per cent before Deepavali and pension sanction is to be accorded by DoT itself since the entire responsibility rests with the Government,” resolution read.

The association also demanded free travel to senior citizens in Tamil Nadu Government buses and also exclusive Amma canteens for senior citizens.