In unique protest, employees donate blood to oppose NPS

Mangaluru: State government employees staged a rather unique protest by organising a blood donation camp at Mini-Town Hall, Mangaluru, on Wednesday to voice their concerns on the newly introduced National Pension Scheme (NPS)

Slogans of ‘Rakta Kottevu Pinchani Bidevu’ (We will give blood, but not sacrifice pension) were raised by the employees who demanded that the government replace the NPS scheme with the erstwhile pension scheme where the government was responsible for paying pension to its employees post their retirement.

The protest organised under the aegis of Karnataka State Government NPS Employees’ Union, Bengaluru evoked a huge response in all taluks.

Stating that the pension is a rightful due of an employee Mangaluru unit President Chandrakanth said that they would continue their protest till the government concedes to their demand.

St Aloysius College Registrar A M Narahari, in his keynote address, said the government is bound to ensure the welfare of its workers 

“The Karnataka government should scrap NPS, as promised in the election manifesto, and replace it with the previous pension scheme,” he stressed.

Union Mangaluru unit President Chandranath, secretary Sharat Bangera, Mescom Workers Union vice president Gurumurthy and AJ Hospital Quality Assurance Department Head Gopalakrishna were present.