Did you know? If you’ve been a Member of Parliament (MP) even for a day, you’re eligible for a lifetime pension of Rs 25,000 per month, plus additional subsidies for healthcare and travel. In contrast, the pension for some government employees who’ve served the country for decades, is so meagre, it will make your heart bleed for the plight of senior citizens. In fact, there are coal sector pensioners who receive just a few hundred rupees as pension per month!

Politicians who’ve served as both MPs and MLAs, are eligible to draw pensions from both Houses for the rest of their lives. Former MPs can also travel free of cost in AC first-class trains, but the Railways has done away with concessions for senior citizens on train travel. 

The government appeals to the common citizen to give up their gas subsidy, but it doesn’t appeal to politicians to give up their pension and privileges. 

A March 3, 2022 reply to a Right to Information Act query has revealed that the Centre spent a total of ₹ 99 crore in 2020-21 on pensions to 2,679 former MPs, many of whom are film stars, industrialists and erstwhile royals.

This is the India we live in today. Sign this petition to speak up against the injustice. 

Image credits: Times of India