Unified Pension Scheme Creates Rift Among MP Employee Unions; Some Call For Immediate Implementation, Others Demand Return To Old Pension Scheme

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Modi government's announcement of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for Central government employees has caused a split among employees' Unions in Madhya Pradesh with some welcoming it, while others rejecting it terming it ‘eyewash’.  

Hailing the Central government’s move, a few employees’ organisations want the Madhya Pradesh government to roll out the UPS in the state, however, there are a few outfits which, sticking to their old demand, want the state to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).  

The government has launched the scheme keeping an eye on the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi, said one of the members of an employees’ organisation.  BJP ruled states including Madhya Pradesh are likely to roll UPS for its employees in near future, he added.

The State secretary, Class Three Employees Association Umashankar Tiwari talking to Free Press said that after the Central government announcement of UPS, neighbouring election-bound Maharashtra has become the first state to offer its employees UPS and sooner or later, Madhya Pradesh will follow suit. However, terming the decision erroneous, Tiwari questioned the government for launching UPS. “When OPS is our demand then why is it not being implemented. The demand of the entire country is OPS,” said Tiwari. UPS has lessened the problems but not completely erased them, he added.  

Madhya Pradesh Forest Employee Association’s vice president Nirmal Tiwari echoing the same views said that the government had failed to do justice with the employees. “Wherever the Assembly elections are held, government employees have voted against BJP. That’s why Centre came up with UPS in wake of Assembly elections to iron out the issues. However, employees' demand for the Old Pension Scheme as UPS is mere eyewash,” he said.     

Speaking on the matter, MP Stenographer Association president Subash Verma said that though employees are demanding OPS, there are certain good things for the employees in the UPS and hence should be immediately implemented in the state. Madhya Pradesh Rajya Karamchari Manch’s State President Ashok Pandey also welcomed the scheme saying that UPS should be rolled out in MP immediately. “The only lacuna is that it is linked to the share market. The employees are not being benefited from NPS. At least UPS has something to offer,”said Pandey. Madhya Pradesh Rajya Karamchari Sangh in a meeting on Saturday demanded immediate implementation of UPS in the state. The Sangh general secretary Jitendra Singh said that UPS the organization has decided to launch a movement after September 10 for implementation of UPS in the state.

What is UPS

The UPS, which kicks in from the next fiscal year, assures a pension of 50 % of the basic salary for those who joined the service after January 1, 2004. Those with a minimum of 10 years of service will receive a pension of at least Rs 10,000 per month on superannuation and an assured family pension in case of demise of the pensioner.