Haryana: Group of employees demanding OPS restoration meet govt panel

Chandigarh: Representatives of the Haryana government employees seeking restoration of the Old Pension Scheme held a meeting with a state government committee on Friday as they remained steadfast in their demand.

The Haryana government had last month formed a committee to hold discussions with representatives of employees demanding the restoration of the OPS.

The government employees' body 'Pension Bahali Sangharsh Samiti' led by Vijender Dhariwal told reporters here after the meeting that they again drove home their point how restoration of OPS will benefit the employees.

Dhariwal said like in their last meeting with government representatives before the committee was set up, they again pointed out various "flaws" under the New Pension Scheme.

He said during the meeting, they presented facts and figures showing how NPS was not in interest of the employees. "We also clearly told them that the perception that restoration of OPS will put any heavy financial burden on the state exchequer is not correct," he said.

"The panel has told us now that they will discuss the facts and figures given by us after which another meeting will be held," he said.

Dhariwal said they have made it clear to the committee that nothing short of restoration of OPS will be acceptable to them.

Meanwhile, Dhariwal said the employees' body will hold a meeting in Delhi on March 5. He said till the time OPS is restored their agitation will continue.

Last month, police had used water cannons and teargas shells to disperse a large gathering of state government employees holding a demonstration for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme in Panchkula.

A day after the big protest, the state government set up the committee for discussion on the demand for the OPS in place of the New Pension Scheme in respect of government employees recruited on or after January 1, 2006.

The committee is chaired by the chief secretary. The additional chief secretary (Finance department) and the principal secretary to the chief minister are the other members.

The demand by Haryana government employees for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme is a long-standing one. The opposition Congress has said it would restore the Old Pension Scheme if voted to power.

The Assembly polls in Haryana are due in 2024.

Restoration of the Old Pension Scheme had emerged as a key election issue in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress ousted the BJP in last year's assembly polls.

No BJP-governed state has so far restored the Old Pension Scheme.

The Old Pension Scheme, under which the entire pension amount was given by the government, was discontinued in the country from April 1, 2004. However, the pension amount is contributory under the National Pension System, which is in effect from that year.