Fast unto death protest if NPS is not cancelled, warns NPS employees
Mangaluru, November 18: As the National Pension Scheme (NPS) is detrimental to the state government employees, they would conduct fast-unto-death protest at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru if the NPS is not cancelled, said NPS employees association general secretary Naganagouda.
Delivering a keynote address at the NPS employees district convention and the 12th executive committee meeting at the SCDCC auditorium here on Sunday, he said that the employees have come to the street due to NPS and have been fighting for abolishing the system. They were not fighting against the government, but for their right.
A retired government bill collector who served for 37 years was getting just Rs 685 monthly pension. But a 98 year old person who served as the primary school teacher for 40 years was getting Rs 22,000 pension. Why such anomaly? The state government should cancel the NPS system and reintroduce the old pension scheme to help the retired employees. They were trying to apprise the government of the need to reintroduce the old system. They have the confidence that the state government would consider their demand. If the government failed to respond to their problem, they would fight about it during the Belagavi Session, he said.
NPS is bogus scheme: Ivan D'Souza
MLC Ivan D'Souza said that the National Pension Scheme would not suit to the government employees as it was a bogus scheme. He would support the fight of the employees. It was the duty of the government to consider the fight. He would raise the issue in the next Session, he said.
MLC Ayanur Manjunath said that he would raise the issue in the Belagavi Session.
MLA Vedavyas Kamath also addressed the employees.
Before the conference, the NPS employees took out a protest march from the government employees Bhavan to SCDCC auditorium. Association district president Ibrahim presided over the programme, in which SCDCC president Dr MN Rajendra Kumar, Association state president Shantaram, Senior vice president Siddappa P, State vice president Chandrahas, KEBA Mangaluru Zonal president Manjappa, representatives of various organizations like Shivashankar Bhat, Swany Thavro, Vittal, Jagadeesh, Dileep Kumar, Hariprasad, H.S. Gurumurthy, Roopa, Adarsh, Prof. Rajashekar Hebbar and others were present.
When MLAs are getting pension, why not you? , asks Bhoje Gowda
In a democratic system, the people's representatives like MLAs, MLCs and MPs were getting the pension in the name of honorarium. But it was a serious question as to why the government employees who serve for most of their life, were not getting the pension? The government should introspect it's decision on forcing the government employees who have come to the street for their rights, said MLC Bhoje Gowda.
Right from the Supreme Court judges to elected representatives, their honorarium was being revised on regular basis. He would be with the government employees in their protest. He would arrange the meeting with the Chief Minister within 15 days, he said.
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Woman in labour dies while being transported in ambulance lacking oxygen support
Palghar (PTI): A 26-year-old pregnant woman from Maharashtra's Palghar district died while being taken to hospital in an ambulance which was not equipped with oxygen and other necessary facilities, authorities said on Wednesday.
Palghar's Civil Surgeon Dr Ramdas Marad said the health department has repeatedly raised concerns with authorities about the lack of specialised ambulances in the region.
The woman, who was in labour pain, was brought to a rural hospital here in a critical state on Tuesday evening.
"If she had come earlier, we could have saved her," the health official said.
Palghar Lok Sabha member Dr Hemant Savara said the health department should take necessary action into the matter and ambulance services should have adequate facilities.
Pinki Dongarkar, resident of Sarni village, went into labour on Tuesday evening.
Her family immediately rushed her to Kasa rural hospital, but due to the critical nature of her condition, the staff there referred her to neighbouring Silvassa city (in the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu) for further medical attention.
However, despite frantic attempts by her family to secure an ambulance equipped with oxygen and necessary medical facilities through the '108' emergency service, their requests went unanswered, a health official said.
They were eventually provided with a regular ambulance by the Kasa rural hospital.
While en route to Silvassa, the woman succumbed to complications and the foetus also did not survive, health officials confirmed.
Dr Marad said the woman was brought to the Kasa rural hospital in a critical state.
According to him, the woman suffered from a condition called Intrauterine Fetal Death (IUFD), where the foetus died in the womb. The exact time of the foetal death could not be determined.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the woman was semi-conscious and showed signs of severe infection.
On issues with the 108 emergency ambulance services, which are privately operated, Dr Marad said the ambulance might have been unavailable due to high demand.
The health department has repeatedly raised concerns with authorities about the lack of specialised ambulances in the region, he said.
Talking to PTI, Palghar BJP MP Savara said, "This is a very sad incident. The health department should take necessary action in this connection. Also, such an incident should not happen in future for this reason."
"The ambulance services should have adequate oxygen and cardiac support facilities. Also, a doctor is required to accompany the patient. I will follow it up with the government," he said.
CPI (M) leader Vinod Nikole, the newly-elected assembly member from Dahanu in Palghar, said he had raised the issue in the House during his last term, but no action was taken.
He criticised the government over "indifference" towards improving healthcare facilities, particularly in tribal areas, and accused the state of prioritising other programmes, such as the Ladki Bahin Yojana, over the urgent needs of healthcare in rural regions.
