Tue Jul 15 14:07:23 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided information:
**Summary:**
Pensioners in Thoothukudi and surrounding districts (Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanniyakumari) staged demonstrations demanding increased minimum pension, medical insurance, restoration of pre-COVID travel benefits, and the scrapping of anti-labor laws by the Union government. The protests were organized by the All Pensioners’ Association.
**News Article:**
**Pensioners Protest for Better Benefits in Southern Tamil Nadu**
*Thoothukudi, July 15, 2025* – Members of the All Pensioners’ Association held demonstrations across several districts in southern Tamil Nadu today, demanding improved benefits and policy changes from both the Union and State governments. Protests took place in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanniyakumari.
In Thoothukudi, protestors gathered in front of the Taluk Office, led by area secretary M. Subramanian. The demonstrators voiced their concerns through slogans, focusing on several key demands.
A central demand was the call for the Union Government to abolish what they termed “anti-labor laws.” The association also urged the government to raise the minimum pension to ₹9,000. At the State level, the pensioners are seeking the implementation of medical insurance coverage. Additionally, they are requesting a 10% increase in pension for those over 70 years of age.
The protestors further emphasized the need to restore train and air ticket benefits for senior citizens, which were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The All Pensioners’ Association sees the restoration of these benefits as a vital step in supporting the well-being of senior citizens in the region.
First Piper 