Baaghi Urges Govt To Restore The Old Pension Scheme

Srinagar- Aam Aadmi Party leader & Social activist Gurmeet Singh Baaghi has urged the Central Government to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

“The National Pension System (NPS) is a disaster for retiring employees in their old age. The new pension scheme to be a form of contributory pension, the classic example of privatising everything. The employees are suffering a lot due to non-implementation of the old pension scheme. NPS is totally against the employees and is injustice with employees as well as their dependents.  NPS does not guarantee minimum pension to the employees. The family members/ dependents of the Government employees do not get any financial benefit/pension under the new pension scheme and hence the old pension scheme should be restored so that all the retired employees & those on the verge of retirement or their family members can get pension/financial benefit to spend rest of their life in a dignified way,”

Pertinently as per the new pension scheme, 10 percent contribution each from the employee and the employer is accumulated in the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority under the Central Record Agency who after the superannuation of NPS employee will pay only 60 percent of the accumulated fund that too after deduction of GST and the remaining 40 percent will be invested in the share market through private companies which itself is a self explanatory policy of the govt. The profit obtained from the share market will be given in the form of a pension to the employee. The future of all NPS & their families will fluctuate with the market and brings a pendulum-like situation with many uncertainties. But in the old pension scheme 50 percent of the last pay drawn by a retired employee is calculated as a guaranteed retirement pension/salary with the addition of DA as and when declared by the government from time to time. After the demise of the retired employee, the nominee gets 50 percent of the total amount drawn by the retired employee as a family pension or social security. It is crystal clear from these facts that there is a guaranteed benefit for the employee and their nominee under the old pension scheme whereas there is nothing good for the employees in the new pension scheme, the statement added.

Baaghi said that the ruling government at the Centre has attained expertise in making big claims but on ground its performance is dismal with people suffering on all counts as farmers, healthcare, education, employment, tourism, businesses are all passing through an abysmal phase. Unemployment is at peak in J&K as well as in country. The people of the Country as well as J&K are fed-up of series of lies and false promises made by the BJP leadership. This is the time to root out the BJP from the government  and install good governance in the country like Aam Aadmi Party government under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal provided all basic amenities to the people of Delhi & Punjab.

Baaghi appealed to central government  to restore the old pension scheme so that sense of belongingness could prevail among the employees.