Dharna in front of minister's office on May Day over OPS

To intensify the struggle for the implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS), the Old Pension Acquisition Front, on the call to hold district-level dharnas against AAP government MLAs on Labour Day, held a protest in front of the office of Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh under the leadership of district convener Gurjinder Singh Manjhpur, general secretary Baljit Singh Mehmowal, finance secretary Nand Ram and DTF district joint secretary Praveen Sherpur and publicity secretary Manjit Singh Saini. A large number of employees from across the district participated in the protest.

After the protest, a demand letter was also given addressed to Chief Minister over the AAP government's failure to implement the OPS. Even after three years of the "notification" on November 18, 2022, the issue of the old pension is still pending.

Addressing a large gathering of employees, the front's Doaba zone convener Inder Sukhdeep Singh Odhra, district general secretary of the Democratic Employees Federation Manjit Singh Dasuha said the NPS, which was brought after closing the OPS after January 1, 2004, is also a part of the policies and is increasing corporate profits against which employees are on the path of struggles.

The AAP government, instead of implementing the notification of the OPS, has now implemented the UPS scheme floated by the Centre. Finance Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-committee Harpal Cheema is continuously making statements about the UPS being considered by the government instead of the old pension, against which there is strong protest by employees. The front had given a memorandum to ministers and MLAs before the Budget session, demanding the passage of the resolution on the OPS. But the AAP government has remained silent on the issue.