Assam govt employees demonstrate seeking old pension scheme

Guwahati: Assam government employees in large numbers on Monday staged protests demanding restoration of the old pension scheme and threatened to intensify their agitation if they did not get a favourable response.

The staff, under the aegis of the All Assam Government NPS Employees' Association (AAGNPSEA), across the state observed 'Karma Birati' at their respective workplaces during the day.

"It is high time for the Assam government to show whether it is genuinely employee-friendly or not. A decent pension is a right of an employee and it should be honoured," AAGNPSEA president Achyutananda Hazarika said.

Retired employees under the National Pension System (NPS) get “a very nominal amount” every month as pension such as Rs 500, Rs 600, or Rs 1,000 after retirement, he said.

"Today, all officers, employees, teachers, and police personnel of the state demonstrated and demanded in one voice to restore the old pension scheme (OPS) ", Hazarika said.

He urged the government to take their demand “seriously” in the greater interest of the employees and the state as a whole.

"Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Punjab have already taken positive steps and decided to give benefits to their employees as per the OPS and we expect Assam to be the fifth state in the country to do so," Hazarika said.

Earlier, the AAGNPSEA had decided to hold protest programmes on June 15 and July 2. However, they were postponed after the state Finance Minister Ajanta Neog had called them for discussion.

"During the discussion held on June 12, the government assured them of favourable action and announced formation of a High Power Committee to look into the possibilities. Unfortunately, the minutes finally signed and issued were not as per the decisions taken in the meeting," Hazarika claimed.

He said that more than 60 government employee associations supported their non-cooperation demonstration on Monday.

Assam has around five lakh government employees, out of which around 2.4 lakh are under the NPS.

"Hope, there will be a favourable response from the government shortly. Otherwise, the Association will resort to a day-long 'Pada Yatra' in September with the participation of over 50,000 employees. Around 100 employee leaders from across the country will walk for restoration of the OPS," Hazarika said.