Hooda demands OPS for staff, rejects UPS as ‘Payout Scheme’

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today criticised the government’s decision to implement the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for state employees, calling it an imposition that fails to meet the demands of the workforce.

“The government is forcibly imposing UPS on employees at a time when they are not agreeable to either UPS or NPS,” Hooda said. “Demands have consistently been raised only for OPS (Old Pension Scheme),” he added.

The Haryana Cabinet, in line with the Centre’s policy, recently approved the rollout of UPS for state government employees and officers. Hooda, however, dismissed it as a "payout scheme" rather than a true pension plan.

“This scheme is not a pension scheme but a payout scheme, as clearly mentioned in the Budget. The payout essentially means a one-time benefit linked to a lump sum investment or deposit,” he said.

Criticising the ruling BJP, Hooda said, “By snatching the old pension scheme, the BJP government is bent on completely ending social security for employees.”

He cited the Central government’s UPS rollout option for its employees —offered between April 1 and June 30, 2025 — as proof of UPS’s unpopularity. “Out of over 30 lakh Central employees, only 20,000 have opted for UPS. This shows that employees want OPS, not NPS or UPS.”

Explaining the distinction, Hooda said: “OPS guarantees 50% of the last basic salary as pension with automatic DA revision and pay commission implementation. In contrast, UPS provides 50% pension only if an employee serves 25 years and meets several other conditions.”

He further said: “In OPS, the employee makes no contribution. In UPS, the employee must contribute 10% of salary and DA throughout service and this amount is not returned even after retirement, death, or within five years of post-retirement demise.”

Hooda urged the government to stop deflecting with "unnecessary schemes" and instead accept employee demands by restoring OPS and safeguarding their future.