Pension has stopped in 14 institutes across the country, including the Forest Research Institute (FRI) working under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). This emergency has come due to the exhaustion of money in the pension fund of ICFRE.
Due to this, more than one thousand pensioners of 14 important forestry research institutes across the country have been affected.
About five crore rupees are spent every month on the pension of scientists and other personnel who retire from 14 institutes/centres working under ICFRE.
Pension Fund Trust was formed in the year 2008 to release their pension uninterruptedly. In which ICFRE keeps depositing some part of the income received from its revenue.
At the same time, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also been helping from time to time. However, due to the increase in the number of personnel retiring gradually and the decrease in the amount of deposits, the fund kept decreasing.
Now the situation has come to such an extent that the ICFRE has to issue a notice stating that the money in the pension fund has run out. Also, it has been said in the notice that pension will not be issued after January 2023. However, the pension could not be issued to the pensioners even for the month of January.
ICFRE was made an autonomous body in June 1991
Prior to June 1991, the Forest Research Institute (FRI) and other forestry research institutes of the country were working separately under the direct control of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. However, after June 1991, ICFRE was declared an autonomous body.
Along with this, other institutions including FRI were brought under the council. The government then sent various central personnel on compulsory deputation to ICFRE.
The employees were given the option that if they want to be accommodated in ICFRE, then their service conditions will continue to be applicable as before.
At that time the retiring personnel were less, so there was no problem. However, as the number of retired personnel increased over time, the Pension Fund Trust was constituted in the year 2008. Since the year 2011, due to increasing concern regarding pension, the personnel of the Council are constantly demanding proper arrangements from the Central Government.
Pensioners absorbed from Central Government Departments
Scientist, 263
Technical Personnel, 354
Administrative Personnel, 422
total, 1039
Pensioners of these institutions / centers affected
FRI Dehradun, TFRI Jabalpur, AFRI Jodhpur, HFRI Shimla, IFP Ranchi, IFB Hyderabad, IFGTB Coimbatore, RFI Jorhat, IWST Bangalore, SDC Chhindwara, BRC Aizawl, ERC Prayagraj, LEC Agartala, CEC Visakhapatnam.