SHIMLA: In election year, demand for old-pension scheme in Himachal Pradesh is growing among state government employees. Under the banner of Himachal Pradesh New Pension Scheme Employees Association (NPSEA), the employees have launched a nine-day “padyatra” (foot march) to seek old pension, while chief minister Jai Ram Thakur-led government has maintained a silence on their demand.
The issue echoed in the state assembly on Saturday, when the Congress MLA from Kullu, Sunder Singh Thakur, while participating in the discussion on motion of thanks on governor’s address said the Congress government, on coming to power, will restore the old-pension scheme. After the announcement of old-pension scheme to government employees by Congress regimes in Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh, now the BJP government of the state is under immense pressure to announce the same and adding to the woes Congress had already announced to give the same on coming to power.
The foot march started in Mandi on February 23 and is expected to reach Shimla on March 3 and around one lakh employees are expected to stage a protest demonstration in Shimla to demand old-pension scheme. Employees are alleging that when it came to giving financial benefits to MLAs, the government took a quick decision, but when it came to giving old-pension benefits, the same government started talking about fund crunch.
While BJP has claimed that it was the previous Congress regime headed by then chief minister, late Virbhadra Singh, which scrapped the old-pension scheme for government employees, the then Congress government, on it part, blamed the then Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee for scrapping the old-pension scheme.
In Himachal Pradesh, MLAs enjoy the benefit of old-pension scheme, while the government employees are given the benefits under new-pension scheme which has led to conflict between the legislators and employees. As over 2 lakh government employees play a decisive role in the elections, Congress has already assured to implement old-pension scheme in Himachal..
AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma said the government of Rajasthan has already announced to give old pension to employees and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has assured that Congress will provide old pension in the states where it will form government. “Congress, on coming to power in Himachal Pradesh, will implement the old-pension scheme on priority,” he added.
The ball is now in the court of the BJP, at a time when chief minister Jai Ram Thakur is aiming for a re-election.
