Easing the plight of elderly pensioners

I recently read the letter titled “The plight of elderly pensioners” written by Wahidul Islam Akand which was published in your esteemed daily on March 31. As an elderly pensioner myself, I fully subscribe to the views expressed therein.

At present, old pensioners draw a pension at a much lower rate than that of new pensioners going on retirement who are two or three grades lower than old pensioners.

The 2015 pay commission recommended a general raise of 100 percent in the pay scale of the government employees, which benefitted those going on pension under the current pay scale.

I feel that the pay commission of 2015 was unfair and unsympathetic toward old pensioners. The commission recommended an increase of 50 percent in the case of pensioners aged 65 years and above and 40 percent in the case of pensioners below 65 years of age. This was just like the recommendation made by the pay commission of 2009. If the commission had recommended 100 percent increase for those who had retired under previous pay scales, it would have been symmetrical.

Given the increased cost of living, can it be expected that the government will redesign the pay scale in order to ease the plight of old pensioners?

Lt. Col (Retd) QAFMA Raquib, Uttara, Dhaka