Punjab employees term OPS notification an ‘eyewash’; stage protest

Days after the Punjab government notified the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), a section of the State employees on Thursday tore copies of the notification as a mark of protest, terming it as an ‘eyewash’, in the wake of the Gujarat Assembly election.

The employees of the different directorates and the Punjab Civil Secretariat staged a protest here under the banner of ‘Sanjha Mulazam Manch’, a joint platform of employees, demanding the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to immediately issue a notification with necessary amendment, in the Civil Service Rules (CSR).

The protester shouted slogans against the ruling AAP government and tore copies of the notification issued by them on November 18, surrounding the restoration of the old pension scheme. “In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution of India, and all other powers enabling him in this behalf, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to notify that all the government employees who are presently being covered under Defined Contributory Pension Scheme also referred to as National Pension System (NPS) will be given the benefits of Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Detailed scheme and Standard Operating Procedures pursuant to this notification shall be notified by the State government in due course of time,” the notification said.

Sukhchain Singh Khaira, convener of the Joint Front said the notification issued by the government was not appropriate and it was not clear from the content of the notification if it would be applicable to the employees who retired before November 18. “It seems to be an eyewash. It clearly reflects that the AAP government issued this letter in the wake of the Gujarat Assembly elections. The notification has been issued without amending the Civil Service Rules (CSR) and without mentioning the detailed pension policy. No date has been mentioned in the letter from when the OPS is to be implemented,” he said.

“The government should complete the necessary amendments regarding the restoration of the OPS before the Gujarat elections and issue a notification in accordance with the rules, which can benefit the employees recruited after 2004,” he added.