Rajasthan electricity department staff thank CM Ashok Gehlot for OPS

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], May 9 (ANI): A delegation of Rajasthan electricity department employees met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and thanked him for implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

CM Gehlot met the employees at his residence on Monday.

Earlier this February, CM Gehlot referring to New Pension Scheme (NPS) said, “We are not doing any favour on them. After 35 years of service, instead of having a secure future, should the employees be dependent on the share market,?” Gehlot said.

Gehlot further added, “When the NPS was implemented during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, we all accepted it. But, once it is understood that the employees can’t be left at the mercy of the share market, then the change in strategy should be made.”

“I believe that OPS must be implemented and the employees must be made to believe that both the central and state government are with them in all situations,” Gehlot added.

Congress-ruled states Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have restored the OPS and the demand to restore OPS is also being raised in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and some other states.

The Gehlot government has announced the restoration of OPS for its employees in April 2022.

While under the old pension scheme (OPS), a government employee is entitled to a monthly pension after retirement. The monthly pension is typically half of the last drawn salary of the person.

Under the new pension scheme (NPS), employees contribute a portion of their salaries to the pension fund. Based on that, they are entitled to a one-time lump sum amount on superannuation.

For the record, the old pension scheme was discontinued in December 2003, and new pension scheme came into effect in the State on April 1, 2004.