Reinstating Old Pension Scheme, Rajasthan CM urges Center to follow

Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister of Rajasthan, who reinstated the Old Pension Scheme in his state, urged the Central government to think about reinstating the Old Pension Scheme benefit to its employees as well.

He stated on Monday that there is no political motivation behind his government's decision to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme and claimed that the choice had been carefully considered before being made.

Gehlot told this programme, "If I talk about OPS, that is a historic choice. When Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Jaipur on Saturday, I pleaded with him to consider introducing OPS at the Center as well. He claimed that the state government did not decide to introduce OPS hastily but rather after careful consideration.

"After much deliberation, a decision has been made. Chhattisgarh has also declared that the OPS will be implemented. Other states are having discussions. Numerous locations have formed committees. I believe that the central government ought to step forward (and re-implement it)."

In his budget speech for 2022–2023, Gehlot stated that the OPS for state employees would be reinstated.

We have implemented OPS from a humanitarian standpoint, and there is no political component to it, according to Gehlot. Politics will happen naturally if your work is good. According to him, the Center ought to see this plan favourably for the sake of federalism.

He also raised concern about the Center's decreased participation in centrally supported programmes.

Health and education will continue to be the state government's top priorities, according to Gehlot.

Government employees hired on or after January 1, 2004, would be entitled to pension benefits under the OPS as well as the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme's cashless medical facility (RGHS).