Himachal govt committed to providing old pension scheme: Deputy CM Agnihotri

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri reaffirmed the Himachal Government’s commitment to providing the old pension scheme (OPS) to state government employees. However, he noted that the Centre has not returned the Rs 9,242 crore contribution lying with it under the earlier new pension scheme (NPS), despite repeated requests.

Agnihotri stated that the state government has fulfilled its promise to restore OPS, made ahead of the 2022 Assembly election. So far, 1,17,521 government employees have opted for OPS, while 1,356 prefer to continue with NPS.

The Deputy CM explained that the Rs 9,242 crore fund, comprising 50 per cent contributions from the state government and employees, is currently invested in bonds by the Centre. He emphasised that the state government is continuously requesting the Centre to return this deposited money to facilitate its distribution to retiring employees.

Agnihotri also mentioned that the Centre has imposed a cut of Rs 1,700 crore on the loan raising limit by Himachal after the restoration of OPS by the Congress government. The issue of granting OPS to employees of boards and corporations is currently under consideration, with HRTC employees already benefiting from the scheme.