STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) has welcomed the Assam Cabinet’s decision to increase the salaries of 1,231 temporary employees, describing it as a long-overdue relief for workers who have long struggled with inadequate pay. In a statement issued on Monday, the SAKP said the move reflects the government’s recognition of the hardships faced by temporary staff and termed it a “positive step toward financial justice.”
However, the association has firmly rejected the Cabinet’s plan to explore the introduction of a Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) as an alternative to the National Pension System (NPS). The SAKP reiterated that neither the NPS nor the proposed UPS can guarantee post-retirement financial security for government employees.
“The government must ensure retirement security by reintroducing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). No alternative pension system can replace OPS,” the statement read.
The SAKP recalled that when the Central government introduced the NPS in 2005, the then All Assam Government NPS Employees’ Association had immediately flagged its shortcomings and urged the state not to implement it. Despite repeated objections, Assam went ahead with the scheme, sparking statewide discontent.
Since then, the SAKP has spearheaded numerous agitations against the NPS — including demonstrations, hunger strikes, and memoranda submitted to the Prime Minister — demanding the restoration of the OPS.
The association further noted that it was the first organization in the country to formally oppose the NPS and continues to observe February 1 as “Black Day” each year to mark the date of its implementation.
Reaffirming its stand, the SAKP urged the Assam government to take a definitive policy decision in favour of reinstating the Old Pension Scheme, ensuring that the welfare and dignity of employees remain protected even after their years of service.
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