Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has promised to reintroduce old pension scheme in Punjab once it is voted to power in 2017 for the benefit of state government employees.AAP Punjab Convener, Gurpreet Singh Waraich while talking to a section of the media said that once the party was voted to power it would reintroduce old pension scheme which was discontinued after January 1, 2004." After coming to power we will withdraw the new pension scheme which was introduced after the year 2004 and will revert to the old pension scheme for the benefit of the employees", said Waraich.Waraich said the aforesaid decision by the party has been taken after a careful study of both the schemes and it was found that the old pension scheme was much beneficial for the state government employees than the new one.
Waraich said the old pension scheme would benefit employees of nearly 46 departments of the state government who care over 1, 15,000 in number. Out of which nearly 20,000 employees who would directly benefit the old pension scheme are from Punjab Police department.Waraich said the old pension scheme was more beneficial for the employees due to its various facilities such as commutation of pension, retirement gratuity, death gratuity, service gratuity, leave encashment, family pension and group insurance.Waraich said it is the endeavour of the AAP party to benefit all sections of the society who have been deprived by successive governments of SAD-BJP alliance and Congress government due to various political interests during the previous tenures.