Retirees without 10-yr regular service seek OPS-like benefit

Nurpur, May 19

The New Pension Scheme (NPS) Retired Employees’ Association has urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to provide post-retirement benefit similar to that of the old pension scheme (OPS) to employees who got government jobs after the age of 45 and so couldn’t render 10 years’ regular service.

Sanjiv Guleria, state president of the association, in a statement issued here today, said that under the Central Civil Services (CCS) rules-1972, an employee was eligible for the OPS after 10 years of regular service in the government sector. “Some employees were appointed on a contractual basis after attaining 45 years of age and their services were regularised after they crossed 50 years. These employees are now facing the repercussions of an inadequate regular service period as per the CCS Rules-1972 for the grant of the OPS to them,” he added.

Guleria appealed to the Chief Minister to provide 50 per cent of the last drawn salary as monthly pension to those employees who had been deprived of the OPS benefits due to the CCS rules1972.