OPS implementation will be discussed in Cabinet: CM Siddaramaiah assures govt employee associations

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made an assurance that the implementation of the old pension scheme in Karnataka will be discussed in the Cabinet and officially announced in the upcoming budget.

The assurance was made in response to the demands put forth by a delegation of office bearers from state government employees’ unions and various organizations that met him on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of effectively implementing the guarantee schemes introduced by the government. He urged the employees to work diligently and honestly to ensure that these schemes benefit the people of the state.

Former Legislative Council member VS Ugrappa highlighted that the New Pension Scheme (NPS) was implemented on April 1, 2006, covering approximately 2.98 lakh employees. Under the current system, the pension amount is deposited in the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).

Ugrappa suggested that the government should consider reverting to the old pension scheme and allowing employees to keep their pension savings in the General Provident Fund (GPF) to access upon retirement. He also advocated for dropping the disciplinary action taken against those involved in the Vote for OPS movement.

Shantaram Teja, one of the association leaders, proposed to follow the example of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where the NPS has been abolished and implement the old pension scheme. By canceling the NPS, an estimated Rs 19 thousand crores will be available for the government’s development programs, he opined.

The meeting witnessed the participation of several representatives from various organizations, including the Primary School Teachers Association, KPTCL, Health, Water Board, and the Revenue Department Employees Association.