Thousands Gathered At Delhi Protesting Against BJP Government (image-twitter/politics_2022_)
People from more than 20 states have gathered at Ramleela Maidan, New Delhi on October 1st to protest against the government. They have gathered in demand for aborting New Pension Scheme and to install old pension scheme immediately. Video of thousands gathered in the Maidan are now circulating in the internet.
The employees under the aegis of the National Movement for Old Pension Scheme gathered to raise their demand before the centre. Thousands of government employees from across the country reached Delhi on October 1, 2023, under the National Moment for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS) banner. As per the report, the rally was named as Pension Shankhnaad Maharally. This rally was organised in the aim of pressurising the Centre to implement the old scheme.
The organisers of the rally asked why the centre could not implement the scheme while the four states where ready to do so, says daijiworld.
According to a notification by the ministry of personnel, the employees who joined the central government services against posts advertised or notified before December 22, 2003, the day NPS was notified, are eligible to join the old pension scheme under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 (now 2021). The selected group can then opt for the option by August 31, 2023.The option once exercised shall be final, the ministry had said.
The move came after various references and court decisions.
“It has now been decided that, in all cases where the central government civil employee has been appointed against a post or vacancy which was advertised/ notified for recruitment/appointment, prior to the date of notification for NPS i.e. 22.12.2003 and is covered under the NPS on joining service on or after 01.01.2004, may be given a one-time option to be covered under the CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972 (now 2021),” the order had said.
Those government servants who are eligible to exercise the option but didn”t chose to do so would continue to be covered by the National Pension System, the order stated.
OPS was discontinued by the NDA government in 2003 with effect from April 1, 2004.
In the old pension scheme, the employee is entitled with 50% amount of the last drawn salary as pension while in the new scheme, employees contribute 10% of their basic salary while government contributes 14%.
