Sri Vijaya Puram witnessed a show of dissent on Tuesday as the Government Pensioners Association, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, joined the nationwide agitation called by the Forum of Civil Pensioners Associations. The protest centres on two major demands, withdrawal of the central government’s decision to categorise pensioners based on their retirement date for pay commission benefits, and immediate constitution of the 8th Central Pay Commission.
The Association convened a special meeting at Shaheed Bhavan, Anarkali, which saw participation from a large number of retired employees across the municipal and rural areas of South Andaman. The gathering marked the island union’s alignment with pensioners’ bodies across the country, who allege that the government’s recent policy directions amount to discrimination and delay in long-promised reforms.
Opening the convention, KG Das, President of the Association, strongly criticised the central government’s move, saying that dividing pensioners by date of retirement was a tactic to deny uniform pay commission benefits. He urged island pensioners to strengthen the association so that larger and more coordinated movements could be staged in the days ahead.
The event also featured a detailed address by D. Ayyappan, former General Secretary of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association. He explained the implications of the government’s decision to categorise pensioners, pointing out that it was enabled by the inclusion of Part IV in the Finance Act, 2025, passed by Parliament earlier this year. According to him, this provision gave sweeping powers to the government to create categories among pensioners, a move widely viewed as undermining the principle of equality in service benefits.
Ayyappan also took aim at the government’s delay in setting up the 8th Central Pay Commission, despite its announcement on 16 January 2025. He said that such inaction has left pensioners across the country frustrated, as their financial stability and standard of living continue to be tied to the revision of pay and pension structures that remain long overdue.
Other speakers at the convention included Pronob Banerjee, Vice President, Suresh Lall, General Secretary, and P. Sathyapal, Assistant General Secretary of the Association. Each underlined the need for island pensioners to stay united in support of the national movement, which seeks not only fair treatment but also immediate policy correction.
The meeting concluded with a call for solidarity among all sections of pensioners, warning that the fight could intensify if the government does not respond promptly to the demands raised by the associations. The local leadership echoed the larger sentiment prevailing across India, where pensioners have accused the government of adopting anti-pensioner policies under the guise of financial restructuring.
For Andaman & Nicobar Islands, where a considerable number of retired employees depend entirely on their pensions, the issue carries a direct impact. Many participants at the convention expressed concern over the rising cost of living in the islands, which makes timely revision of pensions through the Central Pay Commission even more urgent.
With the nationwide agitation gathering momentum, the island pensioners’ decision to formally align themselves with the movement indicates that the protests are unlikely to fade soon. For now, all eyes remain on the central government’s response to the mounting demands, particularly whether it will move swiftly to constitute the 8th Central Pay Commission and review the controversial categorisation of pensioners.
