With Rajasthan switching to old pension, BMS demands centre to follow

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a Sangh Parivar-affiliated Central Trade Union, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding him to reinstate the old pension scheme and keep all Central government employees covered.

The Rajasthan government had announced replacing the new pension system (NPS) with the old pension system (OPS). There are talks that Maharashtra and Jharkhand will also revert to the old pension scheme. West Bengal had not opted for the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and follows the old pension scheme.

The Samajwadi Party has also proposed a similar move if it is voted to office in Uttar Pradesh. There are also reports of something similar being contemplated upon in Chhattisgarh. In Himachal Pradesh, in the election year, demand for the old pension scheme is growing as employees under the banner of Himachal Pradesh New Pension Scheme Employees Association (NPSEA) is carrying out 9-day long padyatra

Sadhu Singh, a BMS leader and the Secretary-General of the Government Employees National Confederation, wrote to Modi, saying that the Rajasthan government's announcement of relaunching the old pension programme should be imitated at the central level as well. 

According to him, the Contributory Pension Scheme covers all Union government employees hired on or after January 1, 2004. Employees have been demanding that the social security pension they are receiving under the CCS Pension Rules 1972 be extended, according to Singh.

"Right now, the Rajasthan government has announced in its budget for 2022-23 that it will reinstate the old pension programme for state employees," Singh added.

According to media sources, the Maharashtra and Jharkhand governments will also opt out of the new pension programme for their personnel. Singh highlighted manifestos from various Opposition parties in the five states where elections are taking place, claiming that they have committed to implement the old pension scheme if elected.

"These pronouncements have also sparked a debate among Central government officials about whether the government should join the previous pension programme as well. Keeping the feelings of employees in mind, BMS and its affiliated federations fighting for government employees have been advocating for the Central government employees to be placed under OPS "Singh remarked.

If the OPS is not implemented, the BMS has demanded that a minimum pension guarantee under the NPS be provided, which should not be less than 50% of the final payment. "As a result, it is a sincere appeal to you that, in accordance with the CCS Pension Rules 1972, a pension of 50% of the last pay be paid to Central government personnel at the time of their retirement," Singh wrote in the letter.