Chorus for old pension plan grows after Punjab decision

Chandigarh, September 29

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The state government has come under pressure to restore the old pension scheme (OPS), after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently expressed his government’s intention to revert to the OPS.

The scheme, which is not applicable to around 1.5 lakh employees recruited after January 1, 2006. Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar had already rejected the demand for restoring the scheme. Now, the Punjab CM’s announcement has again given impetus to the employees, raising the issue.

Subhash Lamba, president of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh (SKS), who has submitted a ‘draft proposal’ on the OPS to the state government, claimed that the reintroduction of the scheme was a win-win situation for the state government and the employees.

“In the long run, there will not be any extra burden on the state exchequer and the state government will benefit as it will provide the much-needed social security to the employees,” Lamba asserted.

Balraj Kundu, Independent MLA from Meham Assembly segment urged the state government to shed its “anti-employee” tag and implement the OPS.