GUWAHATI: Central and state government employees in Assam staged protests on Saturday, calling for the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and rejecting both the National Pension System (NPS) and the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).
The UPS, scheduled for implementation from April 1 this year, was officially notified on January 24,
Assam has approximately 3.5 lakh state government employees and 1.5 lakh Central government employees. Calling the protest a “black day,” the employees wore black badges and held an hour-long demonstration from 12 noon in front of their offices and institutes, demanding the reinstatement of the OPS.
The protesters carried placards with messages such as “Roll Back NPS, Give Back OPS,” “Scrap NPS, Restore OPS,” and “One Nation, One Pension,” emphasizing their demands to the authorities. Achyutananda Hazarika, President of the All Assam Govt NPS Employees’ Association, reaffirmed their unwavering demand for the reinstatement of the OPS, vowing to continue protests until their demand is met. The association has also announced plans to intensify their agitation from March.
“We seek security and dignity after retirement, but we reject both the UPS and the NPS, as they fail to address our concerns. Both are market-linked and uncertain. Under the OPS, pension is guaranteed,” Hazarika stated.
The NPS was introduced on January 1, 2004, for Central government employees. However, persistent opposition led to the introduction of the UPS, which is now facing protests as well. Employees must choose between the two and cannot alter their decision later.
Following the protest, the association released a statement citing the Supreme Court, “Pension is not a bounty nor a matter of grace depending upon the sweet will of the employer. It creates a vested right subject to the 1972 rules, which are statutory in character, as they were enacted under the proviso to Article 309 and clause 5 of Article 148 of the Constitution. Pension is not an ex-gratia payment but a payment for past service rendered.”
The statement further asserted that the NPS deprives employees of their rights and serves as a financial tool benefiting capitalists. “It was anticipated that the government would ensure financial security for pensioners through the Unified Pension Scheme, announced on August 28, 2024. Unfortunately, the notification presents a different reality,” it read.
“The UPS, like the NPS, remains a market-linked system. Additionally, it introduces various complications, such as no provision for the return of the 10% employee contribution, no death-cum-retirement gratuity (DCRG), an illogical family pension system, and the absence of revisions based on the Pay Commission,” the statement added.
“Only those affected can truly understand the struggle of employees who, after earning ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000 per month before retirement, suddenly find themselves receiving pensions as low as ₹1,000 or ₹2,000,” the association highlighted, raising concerns over the inadequate and unpredictable pension amounts. “The market-linked nature of the UPS and NPS makes them unreliable, and the lack of gratuity, unlike the OPS, further adds to employees’ uncertainty about their future,” Hazarika concluded.
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