Restore old pension scheme : AJKLTF

Srinagar, October 23, 2021: All Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Teachers Federation (AJKLTF) affiliate with Akhil Bharatyia Rashtriya Shakshik Mahasangh expressed its concern over the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and will compel the state government as well as Central Government to withdraw the NPS and reinstate the old Pension Scheme.

On this occasion, Devraj Thakur President/NEC Member All Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Teachers Federation (AJKLTF) affiliate with Akhil Bharatyia Rashtriya Shakshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) JKUT talking with Media persons here today said that Federation is of the firm view that all Employees including other Government Employees have to get guaranteed pension and after the death of employee, Family Pension should be allow to his family. Thakur warned the Government that NPS is totally against the employees and there is great injustice with the employees as well as his family. Employees are not aware that what and how will they get after their retirement. He is worry that how he and his family will passes his old age. NPS is neither in the interest of country nor it give the guarantee of minimum pension to employees. We demand that government should immediately withdraw the ordinance and allow old pension scheme to employees who joined their service after January 1,2004.

AJKLTF leader have raised his concern, demanding the government to scrap the existing pension scheme that was introduced in 2004.Talking to media, Devraj Thakur said, “There is no provision for our sustenance. Several recently retired government employees aren’t able to even pay their monthly electricity bills with the pension they are getting under the new scheme. Isn’t this a humiliation by the government for someone who has devoted half of his or her life to it.”In the old system, the entire pension amount was borne by the government while fixed returns were guaranteed for employee contribution to the General Provident Fund (GPF). The government pays 50% of the last drawn salary plus dearness allowance (DA) as pension to employees after retiring, and to their dependent family members in case of death.matching their contributions”.

“Many employees have been protesting from the start but NPS was forced on us nevertheless”, Thakur

 told the Media.

“We will hold a rally in Jammu Kashmir in near future as a warning to the state government”, Thakur further added.

“The government had done away with pension scheme in 2004 after which govt employees were left helpless. Even after several agitations, our demands have fallen on the deaf ears of government. Now is the time for us to unite and launch a massive stir in the state,” he added.

“An MP or MLA who wins and serves for five years, gets a pension his whole life. While we who serve for more than 40 years, are denied a pension after retirement,” said Thakur.

Thakur said, “The pension is a kind of social security for the government. With no pension, the employees would face difficulty in their old age.” He said they will organised the rally to mobilise employees and garner public support on the issue.