Shimla: In a significant relief for thousands of government employees, the Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to transfer the National Pension System (NPS) contributions of employees recruited against posts advertised before 15 May, 2003 to their General Provident Fund (GPF) accounts, bringing them under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972.
A spokesperson of the state government said the decision is in line with the government’s commitment to safeguard the interests of its employees. The spokesperson recalled that one of the first major decisions of the present government was the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), with the Finance Department issuing a notification implementing the scheme from 1 April, 2023.
The spokesperson said the government has consistently taken steps to ensure the welfare and financial security of its employees. Under the latest decision, employees recruited to various government departments against posts advertised before 15 May, 2003 will now be covered under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.
According to the decision, the accumulated contributions under the National Pension System of all such employees who are still in service will be transferred from their NPS accounts to their respective GPF accounts. The transferred amount will also earn interest at the applicable GPF rates.
The government has also extended the benefit to retired employees falling under the same category. They too will be covered under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, and will receive pensionary benefits from the date of their retirement.
The spokesperson said the decision is expected to benefit thousands of government employees who were appointed against posts advertised before 15 May, 2003, ensuring that they receive pension benefits under the Old Pension Scheme framework.
