Latest news with #OldPensionScheme
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
CM Sukhu inaugurates newly established SDPO office at Nadaun
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 3 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday inaugurated the newly established office of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) at Nadaun, aiming to strengthen the law and order infrastructure in the region. The SDPO office will oversee operations at Police Station Nadaun and Police Station Sujanpur, improving coordination, efficiency, and supervision of law enforcement activities. Covering a jurisdiction of 82 Gram Panchayats and one Nagar Panchayat (NAC), the new office is expected to enhance policing, ensure faster response times, and provide better administrative oversight. In addition, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed 'Rajasva Sadan' at Nadaun, built at a cost of Rs 18.50 lakh, and dedicated the Panchayat Ghar in Kalur, constructed at a cost of Rs 1.14 crore. While addressing a gathering in Kalur, the Chief Minister said that when the construction of the Panchayat Ghar started, he was an MLA at that time and was happy to inaugurate it today. He announced that the liquor shop in Kalur will be shifted back to its previous location. He stated that ever since the state government has reinstated the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), the state has been facing financial restrictions from the Union government. 'As a result, Rs 1,600 crore as financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh has been curtailed by the Union Government,' he said. The Chief Minister further announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School in Amlehar will commence from the next academic session. This will be the first CBSE-affiliated Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School in the state. Along with quality education, the state government will also ensure nutritious meals in this school and in the coming years, around one thousand students are expected to enrol in this institution. He added that the state government has fixed a minimum support price of Rs 90 per kilogram for naturally grown raw turmeric, Rs 40 per kilogram for maize, and Rs 60 per kilogram for wheat. He also said that improvements in the state's healthcare services are underway and the medical college and a cancer hospital would soon be operational in Hamirpur. CM Sukhu also inspected the ongoing construction of a state-of-the-art Multipurpose Sports Complex at Kharidi in the Nadaun area. Being developed at a cost of Rs 65 crore, the facility is set to become a major hub for sports and youth engagement in the region. He directed the officers to complete the work by the end of this year. The modern complex will feature an 8-lane swimming pool, a shooting range, and dedicated spaces for wrestling, boxing, kabaddi, yoga, table tennis, and badminton. The Chief Minister stated that similar multipurpose sports complexes are being developed across the state to provide constructive avenues for youth and to help curb the menace of drug abuse. Emphasising the critical role of sports in promoting a healthy and disciplined lifestyle, the Chief Minister said, 'This sports complex will be a symbol of our commitment to nurturing talent and ensuring the physical and mental well-being of our youth.' Later, the Chief Minister also inspected the ongoing work at the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School in Amlehar, within the Nadaun assembly constituency. MLA Sanjay Rattan, HRTC Vice Chairman Ajay Verma, Nagar Panchayat Nadaun President Shammi Soni, District Collector Amarjeet Singh, SP Bhagat Singh, Congress leader Captain Prithvi Chand, and other dignitaries were present at the event. (ANI)
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh government urged to resolve pending issues of faculty in institutions of higher education
Members of Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) Andhra Pradesh unit have urged the Department of Higher Education authorities to resolve the long-pending issues of the faculty working in public universities and other institutions of higher education. In a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Kona Sasidhar, on Sunday (June 1), the Mahasangh's State president Y.V. Rami Reddy and State general secretary D.S.V.S. Balasubramanyam urged Mr. Sasidhar to fill the 5,000 vacant posts in the universities, degree colleges and other institutions of higher education across the State, to abolish the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and restore the Old Pension Scheme, to release the four pending DA arrears to the employees and to release the retirement benefits and other arrears to the retired employees. They also insisted for immediate appointment of the State Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and fixing of the Interim Relief, to restore the earlier timings of junior colleges from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., implementation of GO No. 110 in all State universities and higher educational institutions and implementation of transfers in the government degree colleges. Pointing out that though the government employees made monthly payments towards health insurance, they were denied the cashless claims facility by the hospitals, the Mahasangh leaders said the department should look into it and do the needful. They said the government had paid only 10% of the employees' dues and urged the authorities to push the redesignation file of the degree college faculty pending at the Secretariat. They also urged the government to appoint full-time Vice-Chancellors to the universities which did not have a regular V-C.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In major relief, Punjab govt notifies implementation of Old Pension Scheme for nearly 2,500 employees
In a huge relief to nearly 2,500 government employees in Punjab, the state government Friday issued a notification implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees whose posts were advertised or appointment letters were issued before January 1, 2004, but who had joined the service later. These employees were earlier covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) despite their pre-2004 recruitment process, prompting them to seek judicial intervention. The notification, dated May 23, 2025, follows a Punjab and Haryana High Court directive, bringing to a close a long legal battle fought by the affected employees. Many of them have already completed more than 20 years in service. The employees are from various departments, including the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), education, local bodies, and others. According to the amended rules under the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume II, OPS will now apply to employees who joined after January 1, 2004, provided their posts were advertised or appointment letters were issued before that date. Employees appointed on compassionate grounds after January 1, 2004, will also be covered under OPS if the request for appointment and eligibility conditions were fulfilled before January 1, 2004. Eligible employees will be given the option to choose between OPS and the New Defined Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS). If no option is exercised within three months from the notification date, they will be deemed to have opted for NPS. Jasvir Talwara, convenor of the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee, welcomed the decision and termed it a victory for justice. 'These employees were unfairly placed under NPS despite having fulfilled all conditions for OPS. The May 23 notification is a big win for them,' he said. Talwara added that the government must now act swiftly to comply with the high court's direction to open General Provident Fund (GPF) accounts for the 2,500 employees by May 28, 2025, so the implementation process of OPS can begin. However, he also raised concerns that around 2 lakh other employees, who joined service after January 1, 2004, continue to be excluded from OPS despite promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the 2022 Assembly polls. 'The government issued a notification in November 2022 promising OPS for all, but implementation has not happened. Instead, AAP ministers are now urging us to consider the Unified Pension Scheme introduced by the Centre last year, which we reject,' Talwara said. While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently reiterated the implementation of OPS for employees with pre-2004 appointments, he made no mention of the larger group of post-2004 employees still awaiting relief. The OPS notification for the 2,500 employees marks a partial fulfilment of the government's commitment, but the larger demand for a complete rollback of NPS remains unresolved, said Rajat Mahajan, president of the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee. In the first week of May, the committee members highlighted the case of Sarwan Singh who retired as a drawing teacher on July 31, 2021, under NPS. Singh now gets a pension of just Rs 4,520 per month and earns a living by setting up a burger stall in Hoshiarpur's Dasuya. It is just the tip of the iceberg, said Mahajan. The committee urged the Punjab government to remember the promises it made in 2022 before coming to power.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Group reiterates demand to revoke contributory pension scheme in T.N.
Representatives of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) Abolition Movement handed over a plea to Tamil Nadu government's Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam at the Secretariat in Chennai on Friday (May 16, 2025), reiterating their demand to revoke the CPS. Speaking to reporters, P. Frederic Engels, State coordinator, CPS Abolition Movement, said the ruling DMK, in its electoral manifesto, had assured it would revoke the CPS and resume the Old Pension Scheme. 'But the government has constituted a committee to study this, which is not acceptable. Other States have revoked the CPS,' he pointed out. If the State government did not accept their demand to revoke the CPS and resume the Old Pension Scheme, the CPS Abolition Movement would go ahead with a street-wise campaign in various parts of the State to underline their demand, the association said.
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: PSPCL employees push for job regularisation, better pay
Outsourced and regular employees of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), held a demonstration on the premises of the four sub-division level offices in Ludhiana on Thursday demanding their long-pending demands of regularisation of outsourced employees and better wages. The protest held under the banner of the PSPCL and Transco Contract Workers' Union comes ahead of a nationwide strike called by central trade unions on May 20, which the union has decided to join. Balihar Singh, state president, Powercom and Transco Contractual Workers' Union, said that many of these employees have worked in the department for over a decade without any job security, benefits, or career progression. 'These workers often perform the same duties as permanent staff but remain on contract, vulnerable to sudden termination,' he added. Another major demand is the implementation of minimum wages as mandated by law. Protesting staff alleged that many outsourced workers are still paid below the legal wage threshold, with no timely revisions or benefits like medical leave, dearness allowance, or provident fund contributions. The protestors also called for post structuring based on workload, highlighting that several departments remain understaffed, forcing existing employees to take on extra responsibilities without additional compensation or formal reclassification of roles. Additionally, the union is seeking the repeal of recent labour laws framed by the union given that they claim dilute workers' rights, limit collective bargaining, and give employers more freedom to terminate contracts. Protestors argued that these laws have further weakened protections for contract and daily-wage workers. Another key issue raised was the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Workers said the current National Pension System (NPS) lacks social security and leaves retired employees financially insecure. Addressing the rally, union leaders Balihar Singh, Jang Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh said these demands have been ignored for years. They announced a continuous sit-in outside the PSPCL head office on May 21 and urged all employees to unite for a sustained, statewide movement.
