“This move will cause a lot of anxiety:” BJD MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo

Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], August 25 (ANI): Reacting to the Unified Pension Scheme, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo accused the government of moving away from the Old Pension Scheme because it was unable to meet the demands and the fear of losses compelled them to adopt a market-driven scheme.

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Deo said, “The government moved away from the Old Pension Scheme because they were unable to meet the demands, and the fear of losses made them shift to a market-driven scheme. This move will cause a lot of anxiety, and therefore, the government has introduced the Unified Pension Scheme.”

He further added that although the Unified Pension Scheme would provide a 50 percent pension amount, it needs to be evaluated whether this guarantee will be sufficient to sustain the livelihoods of those who have been working with the government for the past 30 to 40 years.

“The Unified Pension Scheme will clearly provide a 50 percent pension amount, but it needs to be assessed whether this will be sufficient to maintain the livelihoods of those who have been working with the government for the past 30 to 40 years and if the amount is comparable to what is outlined in the National Pension Scheme,” he added.

Additionally, he remarked that with the upcoming state elections, it is evident why the government has made this decision now.

“With the state elections approaching, it is clear why the government has decided to implement this scheme at this time. More than 2.5 million people would have benefited from the National Pension Scheme and received higher benefits. My advice to most people is to remain with the Old Pension Scheme,” he concluded.