Shimla: CPM leader and Theog legislature Rakesh Singha has asked the state government to reintroduce old pension scheme. Singha, in a letter to the Chief Minister, stressed for a political consensus and make budget provisions providing pension to the state employees from the next financial year 2019-20.
Singha reminded Chief Minister that the West Bengal government is providing pension to the employees on the old pattern. And the state of Himachal Pradesh can also benefit its employees as well, as it’s giving pension benefit to the elected members of the parliament and state legislatures. Which is clear violation of provision in Article 14 of the Constitution of India that directs the state to provide equality before law.
CPM leader stated that the Pension Act was enacted in the year 1871 by the British rule to provide old age social security to any civil servant who puts in a minimum of twenty years of service. Singha stated that older one need greater medical care and with the present scenario cost of living puts additional financial burdens.
“The intent of the pension Act 1871 was to address all these issues. It is with this understanding a universally accepted formula was framed by different nation States to determine the pension sum amounting to sixty percent of the last pay withdrawn by a civil servant. However, our pension rules limited this to just Fifty percent of the last pay withdrawn.” Rakesh Singha further added.
Raising question over the present National Pension Scheme and claimed it for not catering to the old age exigencies. “It is surprising the NPS does not even refund the contributions made by the employees towards pension during their service period. The NPS defeats the purpose for which the pension law was enacted” Singha letter read.
He apprised that the supreme court of India has upheld the verdict delivered by the High Court in Poonam Vs state of Himachal Pradesh and others but inspite of that the state government is failing to provide pension on the pattern existing prior to 2004 to those employees who were recruited prior to 2003 but regularized subsequently.
The state government employees have been raising the issue of reverting back to the old pension law but your government has been ignoring their demand. Issue of new pension scheme was also raised in the recent assembly and the state government had showed inability to revert to the old pension scheme.
