Guwahati, Jan 31 (PTI) Demanding the re-introduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a section of Assam government employees on Wednesday said they will intensify their agitation if it is not met.
The All Assam Government NPS Employees’ Association (AAGNPSEA) organised a rally in Guwahati, in which thousands of state employees participated.
“The NPS should be abolished and the OPS must be restored for government employees. This is the common call of teachers, workers and all employees of the state,” AAGNPSEA president Achyutananda Hazarika said.
The organisation started a series of programmes on January 20 to press for their demands, and it was concluded with the mass gathering in the state capital, he added.
“The main target of the progarmmes was to make awareness among the common people on the negative impact of NPS and the necessity of OPS for the greater interest of society. Today, more than 10,000 people gathered and raised their common voice towards the restoration of OPS,” Hazarika said.
AAGNPSEA general secretary Apurba Sarma said the government has not responded to the calls to abolish the NPS and provide retirement security to the employees through OPS.
“The government must understand the pain of the working class. There is a strong demand that the employees must be provided with financial security during their retirement. Since this is a social problem, citizens at all levels have come forward to solve this problem,” he said.
If the government and political forces continue to “remain indifferent” to the issue, the people will take a decisive action in the elections, Sarma warned.
“This must be taken seriously. The employees have already started the process to raise awareness among the people in every part of the state. The response of the government will determine the direction, pace and intensity of the agitation in the coming days,” he said.
Hazarika had earlier stated that most of the people who retired under the NPS are getting pensions of Rs 500, Rs 600, Rs 1,000 or a maximum of Rs 3,000 per month.
He had also said that Assam has around 5 lakh government employees, and of them, around 3.5 lakh are under the NPS.
Under the OPS, a government employee gets a monthly pension equivalent to 50 per cent of their last drawn salary. There is no need for contribution by employees.
Under the NPS, an employee contributes 10 per cent of his basic salary plus dearness allowance with the government making a matching contribution. The money is then invested in one of the several pension funds approved by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and the subsequent returns are market-linked.