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. Addresing a press conference at Chandigarh AAP Punjab Incharge, Sanjay Singh, AAP Convener, Gurpreet Singh Waraich, Punjab Dialogue Chairman, Kanwar Sandhu and Legal Cell head, Himmat Singh Shergill 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 and Punjab Dialogue head Kanwar Sandhu held a meeting with president of the Punjab union employees Sukhjeet Singh and others president in jalandhar on October 24 and promised to implement the old pension scheme.Sandhu said it has also been promised that AAP would include the aforesaid promise in its manifesto hence making it a commitment with employees that this would surely be reintroduced.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's 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 endeavor 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.
Points discussed in the meeting:
- Employees recruited after 2004, covered under new pension scheme. Implemented since 1/1/20104
- Under this scheme, 60% of the amount is paid lumpsum upon retirement but rest 40% is invested into pension fund of one of the 7 empanelled pension companies.
- Employees will get only fixed pension throughout his lifetime, no hike as in previous plan.
- No Medical Coverage.
- MLA/MP get pension even after serving for a day
- Total Employees in Punjab: 6 lakh
- Employees Covered Under NPS in Punjab: 1,14,392 (25th June, 2016)
- Demand: Implement GPS once again, withdraw NPS/CPF
- Saves 70 crores from the government exchequer
- Total 2906 crore total contribution by state and employees, 1453 crore from employees side and 1453 crore government contribution. After interest, total: 3456 crore. (25th June, 2016)
- Departments affected in Punjab: Co-operative, Agriculture, DC Office, Excise, Divisional Commissioner Office, Education, Irrigation, Punjab Police, PWD B&R, Technical Education, ITIs, etc.
- Tripura and West Bengal have not implemented the New Pension Scheme
- Tamil Nadu has announced withdrawal of the NPS. Madhya Pradesh is also planning to withdraw.