Central and state government employees’ organisations have come on one platform to announce the launch of their struggle for the restoration of the old pension scheme.
Alleging that the New Pension Scheme (NPS) is a fraud, the organisations demanded that the Central and state governments should implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). If their demand is not accepted, they would be forced to launch a nationwide agitation.
Unions of different employees are now coming together to restore the old pension scheme for 36 lakh Central employees across the country. A national convention of unions and associations of Central and state government employees is being held in the National Capital on Saturday to decide the future course of action against the government.
Shivgopal Mishra, convenor of the Joint Action Council of Central Government Employees, and co-convenor M Raghavaiah told reporters that 36 lakh non-uniformed employees of the central government, employees of state governments, teachers working in primary, secondary and higher education, etc. are directly involved and emotionally supported by uniformed personnel.
Shivgopal Mishra said the National Pension System implemented for the Central Government employees recruited on or after January 1, 2004 and the National Pension System implemented by various State Governments for their employees from different dates and years after retirement The latter is proving fatal for the employees. It does not match the guaranteed Old Pension Scheme as defined in any way despite the employees contributing 10 per cent of their salary every month to the pension fund.
He said in the new pension scheme, retired employees are getting a pension of Rs 4,000 to 1,500 per month instead of Rs 26,000. Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh have implemented old pensions.
Now, the demand for the old pension scheme has started gaining momentum in other states as well. The joint council of the organisations is preparing a white paper on the issue of MPs-MLAs getting multiple pensions.