Daspalla, Nayagarh (Report- Subash Chandra Barik): The All Odisha EPP Pensioners' Association, Nayagarh District Branch, held a well-attended general meeting at the Maruti Bazaar meeting hall within the premises of Sri Sri Swapna Mahabir Peeth Kalyana Ashram in Daspalla. The meeting, presided over by state working president Prafulla Kumar Das, began with a minute of silence to honor deceased pensioners, victims of recent terrorist attacks in Kashmir, and the Ahmedabad plane crash. 
Nayagarh EPF Pensioners Demand ₹9,000 Minimum Pension – Key Meeting Highlights

 
The event saw over 200 members from Nayagarh district in attendance, along with distinguished guests, including state general secretary and All India Vice President Bhagyarathi Brahma. Brahma highlighted the ongoing struggles of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) pensioners and the steps taken by the association to address their grievances.  

Key Demands and Discussions  

The speakers strongly criticized the central government for neglecting the social security of senior citizen EPF pensioners. They demanded a minimum monthly pension of ₹9,000 along with dearness allowance (DA), a long-pending request of over 8 lakh pensioners across India. The association warned that their nationwide movement would intensify until their demands are met.  
Prominent attendees, including Saroj Kant Mallik, president of the State Corporation Employees’ Federation, and Prakash Kumar Pattanayak, secretary of the Khordha District Branch, urged pensioners to unite and fight democratically for their rights. They condemned the delaying tactics of EPF officials in disbursing enhanced pensions.  

New Leadership Elected 

In the final session, a new district committee was unanimously elected for the next two years:  
  • President: Nilakantha Sahoo  
  • Vice President: Anand Chandra Jena  
  • Secretary: Chandrasekhar Sahoo  
  • Joint Secretary: Kunal Biswal  
  • Treasurer: Ganeshwar Sahoo  
  • Auditor: Nandakishore Singh  
  • Executive Members: Ten others  
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Rajanikant Mangaraj. The association vowed to escalate their protests if the government continues to ignore their demands, ensuring the movement remains strong across the country.