Federation flays denial of OPS benefits to eligible retirees

The New Pension Scheme (NPS) Retired Employees and Officers’ Federation has criticised the denial of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) benefits to eligible retired employees across various government departments. Sanjiv Guleria, federation’s president, alleged that the negligence and arrogance of certain Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and clerks were responsible for this injustice.

Highlighting the plight of Balveer Singh, a retired employee of the state education department, Guleria revealed that Singh joined government service on December 24, 2008, and became a regular employee in 2015. He retired after 13 years of service in 2021.

Following a High Court directive, the Director of Elementary Education, Shimla, informed Singh in June 2024 that he was eligible for the OPS, provided he deposited the NPS amount in the treasury. Singh complied and submitted his retirement documents to the AG office in Shimla. However, his claim was denied because he had not opted for the OPS within the stipulated time set by the government in May 2023.