Union demands OPS, raises slogans against govt

Members and leaders of the Purani Pension Mulazam Bahali Union on Tuesday staged a protest at Phagwara, demanding the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees recruited after 2004.

The protesters gathered at Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Old Post Office Road, under the leadership of Kuldeep Kaura, president of the Pension Sanjha Front, Phagwara, and Parminder Pal, convener of the Pension Front. They accused the government of misleading employees with an OPS notification issued on November 18, 2022, which they claim has still not been executed on the ground.

They expressed anger over what they described as the government’s failure to honour its commitments despite repeated assurances. Raising slogans such as “jhootha notification radd karo” and “purani pension bahal karo,” they demanded immediate restoration of the old pension system for all eligible employees.

The protesters later burnt an effigy of the notification outside the BPO office near the school to mark their resentment against the AAP-led state government. They reiterated that the movement for the OPS would continue until the government delivers on its promise.