Waiting for Markfed pension

AS per the news published in The Tribune on June 21, 1999, this year the board of directors of Markfed sanctioned Rs 4 crore for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for Muktsar district. Last year Markfed donated Rs 4.66 crore for the water-logged areas of Muktsar district. We, the retired employees of Markfed and their dependent family members, wish to know that if the Markfed management can spend this large amount just in one district for the welfare of the people living there, then why should it not deposit a sum of Rs 10 crore to the pension fund account. The amount is needed for starting a pension scheme and then the money for this purpose will keep on coming from the employees of Markfed itself.

The employees of Markfed have contributed a lot for making it the biggest cooperative entity in Asia. They have served it honestly and done their best all through their service period to make it not only viable but also the biggest profit- earning cooperative unit of Asia.

The Chief Minister should remember that the Markfed employees and their families also deserve the pension scheme for their survival, which has already been granted to private school and private college teachers, employees of market committees and municipal committees.

Then why this discrimination against the Markfed employees? The board of directors of Markfed approved this pension scheme in 1990. But for the last nine years the employees have been waiting for this scheme to be implemented. The Chief Minister of Punjab must remember that the employees of Markfed also belong to the same farming community. After retirement they have no other means for their survival than this pension for which they have been waiting for nine years.

GURMUKH SINGH
Jalandhar

Quota only on economic basis

I agree with Swami Krishnanand, President, All-India Hindu Mahasangh, demanding “quota on an economic basis” as published in the November issue of The Tribune. In today’s world, one’s caste doesn’t help in anyway except in government jobs. Promoting caste-based policies not only keeps our society divided but also affects the quality of service the public gets from government servants and professionals.

Reservations in education mostly help students of a lower merit from the castes covered by such policies. They get admission to courses where students with much higher merit but not covered by such policies lose their chance. That in turn may produce lower merit professionals, delivering lower quality services, lacking in desired skills.

What about the students belonging to a caste not covered by this reservation policy but coming from a poor family? Moreover, if they don’t have enough financial strength to get further education, they need jobs on the basis of the education they have acquired. But, again, government jobs are also governed by such policies. So, these caste-based policies affect people from the castes not covered by caste-based reservations, on both fronts, education as well as government jobs. That makes such economically weak people even weaker.

If at all reservation is so required, it should be on an economic basis. No matter what caste a person belongs to, if he/she has merit, the government should give monetary help to help him/her pursue educational goals and later on get better jobs.

ANIL CHANDEL
Washington (USA)

* * * *

DA freeze

The Punjab Finance Department’s recent letter to freeze the DA upto 31-3-2000 is altogether ill-advised and highly deplorable. It amounts to the imposition of an undeclared financial emergency. More than five lakh Punjab government employees and pensioners are up in arms against the Badal government’s anti-employee measures and non-release of two DA instalments due from January and July this year.

The Centre and several state governments, including Haryana, have already sanctioned the DA instalments. It is regretted that the Punjab employees are getting 15 per cent less DA than their counterparts in the Central government’s service.

Pensioners may join hands with employees’ federations to launch a state-wide agitation against the anti-employee policy of the Badal regime.

YASH PAUL GHAI
Ludhiana