Panchkula (Haryana): Protests broke out near Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's residence in Panchkula on Sunday by state government employees demanding the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. The demonstrations, organised by Pension Bahali Sangharsh Samiti (PBBS), were seen protesting amid heavy police deployment. The police forces present at the spot also used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Speaking to the media, PBBS spokesperson Praveen Deshwal noted that the new pension scheme had already been repealed in neighbouring Rajasthan, adding that the state administration under CM Manohar Lal Khattar did not listen to employees.
"About 70,000 employees have gathered today for protest. This BJP government does not consult with employees. We will continue our peaceful protest" he added.
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Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, earlier this week, promised the transition to the old regime if Congress was voted to power in the next Assembly elections in the state. So far, four Indian states - Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand - have expressed their desire to return to the Old Pension Scheme, under which a government employee remains entitled to a monthly pension post-retirement. The said pension is usually half of the last-drawn salary of the employee.
In the new pension scheme, rolled out by the government in 2004 as the National Pension System, employees throughout their tenure continue to contribute a defined portion of their salary to the pension fund. The government, too, contributes to the fund. Upon retirement, the employees are provided with a one-time lump-sum payment.
