New Delhi: The Pension Parishad said that demand for universal pension was gaining support among parliamentarians and urged Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to ensure that it becomes a reality by the next budget.

In a letter to Ramesh, Pension Parishad - an initiative to ensure universal pension to all workers in India - activists Aruna Roy and Baba Adhav said that nearly 100 parliamentarians have expressed their support for the demand.

They have also signed a memorandum urging the government and parliament to ensure universal pensions at a rate that would allow the elderly to live with dignity, they said.

Ramesh had given his broad support to the demand and also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding it, the activists said.

"The demand for pension has gained immense momentum since then. Pension Parishads were held in many states and districts across the country where people expressed their urgent and pressing demand for universal pension," the letter said.

It said that nearly 2,000 old and ageing unorganized workers had gathered at Jantar Mantar from all parts of the country demanding a universal pension scheme.

"We would like you to help ensure that universal pension as envisaged by the Pension Parishad becomes a reality by the next budget session," the letter said.

The demands of parishad includes a universal and non-contributory old age pension system to be set up by the government with a minimum dignified amount of monthly pension not less than 50 percent of minimum wage or 2,000 a month, whichever is higher.

The parishad wants pension to be an individual entitlement for all eligible citizens of India, the monthly pension amount to be revised regularly and changed every six month based on the inflation.

The parishad has demanded that an individual should be eligible for the old-age pension at the age of 55 years and the eligibility age should be 50 years for women and 45 years for some other vulnerable groups.

It has also said that no one should be forced to compulsorily retire from work on attaining the age of eligibility for universal old age pension.

The parishad has sought a a single window system for old age pensions and a separate ministry for issues concerning the elderly.