The meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will meet today to discuss the various issues in its agenda.

One issue is the minimum pension under the Employees Pension Scheme (EPS).  At present, there is no rule regarding minimum pension. Many pensioners are getting only Rs. 200 or 300 with less than 10% getting more than Rs, 1,000. The Unions have been demanding that the at least a minimum pension of Rs. 1,000 should be ensured to all. Considering the present high cost of essential commodities, it should be much more. But even the demand for Rs. 1,000 has not been accepted so far. The meeting today should take a favourable decision in the matter.

Another issue is the interest rate for EPF for the year 2012-13. The unions have been demanding that it should be 9.5% as last year. But the employers are prepared only for 8.5%. This cannot be accepted. When the interest rates have been increased by the banks and other financial institutions, how the employees can be denied the same for their Provident Fund Accounts?  The government should come forward to maintain the interest rate as in last year.