Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India] September 26 (ANI): Retired employees of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) staged a protest outside the HRTC headquarters in Shimla on Friday, demanding the immediate release of their pensions and the resolution of other pending issues.

The demonstration was organised by the Shimla unit of the HRTC State Pensioners Welfare Association. The pensioners alleged that they were forced to repeatedly approach both the corporation management and the state government every month to secure their rightful dues.

Speaking to the media, Rajinder Thakur, General Secretary of HRTC State Pensioners Welfare Association, said, 'In the past year, we have never received our pension on time. Every month, we are compelled to run from the corporation management to the Chief Minister's office. Last month, we had to approach even the Deputy Chief Minister before our pension was finally released on the 30th. This month, despite visiting the secretariat more than ten times and the HRTC headquarters nearly twenty times, we have received no clear assurance on when or from where the pension will be released. We are tired of daily false assurances. That is why today's two-hour protest has been organised by the Shimla unit to awaken the corporation management and the government. If our demands remain unresolved, we will escalate the protest across all units in the state and even stage demonstrations with our families outside the Secretary's residence and at the HRTC headquarters.'

The pensioners further claimed that despite repeated court directives and even the embargo on the Managing Director's official vehicle, the government and corporation have failed to resolve their grievances. They expressed anger that during the festive season, while other state government pensioners had received arrears and instalments, HRTC pensioners were left empty-handed.

Another protester, Suresh Thakur, former President of the HRTC Employees Union and retired employee, told ANI, 'Our situation has become miserable. Those who are sick cannot afford treatment as medical bills have not been reimbursed for the past nine years. Newly retired employees are not even getting their pensions. Whenever we approach officials, we are misled or mistreated. We are told there is no money, yet leaders increase their own allowances overnight. The Chief Minister goes abroad, the Transport Minister is travelling, but here, pensioners do not even get medical support. The CM once promised 9 crore for medical bills, but even after 18 months, not a single rupee has been released. This is shameful. If this continues, we will be forced to launch a statewide agitation. Let the government know that if our demands are not addressed, its own stability will be at risk.'

The pensioners threatened to intensify their agitation in the coming weeks and warned of a statewide movement if their demands remain unmet. (ANI)