New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may have warned states against reverting to the old pension scheme (OPS), but many states have already withdrawn it. Later Himachal Pradesh Having become the latest to do so, the scheme has also become an election issue in Tripura, where assembly elections are due on February 16.
Left Front promises to bring OPS if voted to power in Northeast state that has Of its 28 lakh voters, 1.04 lakh are government employees and 80,800 pensioners, making them one of the most important groups.
OPS was closed all over India by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government Replaced By New Pension Scheme (NPS) with effect from 2004.
Under OPS, Government employee Those who have worked for at least 20 years get 50 per cent of their last drawn pay as their pension. No contribution is made during this period, and pension is payable at the time of retirement of the employee.
On the other hand, under NPS, the government and the employee contribute 10 percent and 14 percent of the employee’s salary, respectively, to the pension fund. The investments of this pension fund are regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority in a diversified portfolio. The idea is that these contributions will add up and so the government can use these funds to pay for pensions when needed.
RBI has many reports Flagged Fiscal imprudence to return to OPS as it increases the liability of the Central Government manifold.
Speaking to ThePrint, CPI(M) Tripura state secretary Jitendra Chowdhary said: “OPS is going to be a part of our manifesto. We will have four major things for government employees. Apart from OPS, there will be no arbitrary retrenchment of government employees, all outstanding dearness allowances will be released immediately and 10,323 teachers Those who had lost their jobs (after the High Court order of 2014) would have their livelihood restored.
Three of the other states to bring back OPS – Rajasthan RajasthanHimachal Pradesh and Chattisgarh Congress ruled while Punjab It is run by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The only other Left-ruled state in the country – Kerala – still has NPS for government employees.
Read also: States’ finances improving, but going back to old pension scheme could pose future risks: RBI
seventh pay commission
In 2018, when the BJP won a surprise victory in Tripura in alliance with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), its first poll promise was execution Seventh Pay Commission.
While the party claims it has fulfilled its promise – it announced revised pay scales for employees and pensioners – government employees claim that only a part of the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations were actually implemented in the state.
Anjan Roy Chowdhury, general secretary of the Tripura Employees Coordination Committee, claimed, “The salaries of government employees in Tripura are the second lowest after West Bengal. The 7th Pay Commission was an election promise, but in reality it has not been fully implemented. Only fixation is done (meaning the basic pay is as per the recommendations of the commission and not as per allowances).
“When the recruitment rules are the same why shouldn’t it be equal to all else?” “We also want a return to OPS as it entitles employees to a pension of 50 per cent of the last basic pay,” he said. Another pending demand is the release of the full amount of 8 per cent dearness allowance. announced (by the government last year).” Tripura government has since announced A further hike of 12 per cent, taking the dearness allowance of state government employees to 20 per cent.
However, political parties are taking serious steps on the issue of Pay Commission.
Senior leaders said in an off-record conversation that the financial condition of Tripura is not such that the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission can be fully implemented.
Seat sharing talks underway
Meanwhile, in Tripura, the Congress and the Left Front have started seat-sharing talks.
The Tipra Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance, or Tipra Motha, continues to play hardball with its insistence on a written commitment On ‘Tipraland’ before forging an alliance with any party, but according to sources, both the Congress and the Left have held discussions with TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Debbarma over phone.
Debbarma also met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi on Thursday. After the meeting, he said, ‘We have told them about our demand. Greater Tipperaland is our struggle. Even BJP didn’t know that Ram Mandir (in Ayodhya) was possible, but they insisted on issues like scrapping of Article 370 and triple talaq, which they believed in. This is our commitment. ,
Other parties are also hopeful of going ahead with Tipra Motha. CPI(M)’s Chowdhary said, “We expect an announcement about seat-sharing in the next 72 hours.”
After the first round of meetings, Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman said: “We are telling all parties who want to fight against this fascist government which is killing democratic rights. Today we have the Left and the Tripura People’s Party, and we also spoke to Pradyot Babu over the phone. He is currently visiting the Election Commission in Delhi.”
(Editing by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Read also: ‘Lauta Do Old Pension’: Steady Growth Of Old Pension Scheme Movement Across India