Old Pension Scheme: Employees burn Modi govt’s effigy

In a dramatic display of their dissatisfaction with the government’s stance on pensions, past and present government employees under the Old Pension Retrieval Front Punjab (OPRF) burned an effigy of the Modi government on Friday. This was done to express their disappointment over the Centre’s reluctance to revive the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

According to the district unit of the OPRF, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Berry, and Advisory Council member Sanjiv Sanyal have rejected the demand made by the states to return the NPS (New Pension Scheme) deposits of several lakh crores under the central agency, PFRDA.

Front leader Kuldeep Tolanangal said that the pension scheme is a hindrance in the development and the economy. He added that the dual character of the administrators and policy-makers is clearly shown by the fact that all MPs and MLAs of the Legislative Assemblies of the country are receiving pension under the old pension, while government employees are being forced to go with the NPS.

Another member of the front, Gurpit Nabha, announced that NPS employees will hold a state-level protest march to the residence of Union Minister of State Som Prakash in Phagwara on January 29th, against the anti-pension policy of the Central Government. He also warned that if Punjab does not issue a clear and time-bound legislation guaranteeing the complete withdrawal of the New Pension Scheme and the full benefits of the old pension based on the Pension Act 1972, a struggle against the Punjab Government will unfold in the near future.

The OPRF is demanding that the government revives the Old Pension Scheme and return the NPS deposits to several lakh crores under the central agency, PFRDA. The situation is being closely monitored by the government, and a decision on the matter is expected to be made soon.

(Inputs from Tribune)

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