Shimla – The demand for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has been reignited. The Himachal Power Engineers Association has written to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, urging immediate action to implement OPS for the board’s employees.
Lokesh Thakur, President of the Himachal Power Engineers Association, emphasized in his letter to the Chief Minister that power engineers nationwide are advocating for pension benefits for state employees. Thakur pointed out that the Himachal Pradesh government has already implemented OPS for various categories of employees, yet the electricity board employees remain excluded. He noted that states such as Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand have already extended OPS benefits to their electricity board employees, setting a precedent that Himachal Pradesh should follow.
Highlighting the Electricity Act 2003, Thakur explained that its provisions do not preclude employees from receiving OPS benefits. He argued that this undermines any opposition to extending the scheme to the state’s power sector workforce.
Thakur also mentioned that the central government is planning to amend the NPS to enhance employee benefits. However, given that OPS is already implemented in Himachal Pradesh and was a promise made by the current Congress government, he asserted that it should also be available to the electricity board employees.
Despite multiple assurances from Chief Minister Sukhu, no decisive action has been taken, leading to growing frustration among the engineers and employees of the electricity board. The association expressed dissatisfaction over the delay, underscoring that all other departments in the state have already received OPS benefits.
