Guwahati: More than five hundred government employees under the banner of the All Assam Govt NPS Employees Association staged a two-hour-long sit-in-demonstration in front of Meghdoot Bhawan at Panbazar here on Tuesday demanding the restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for the state employees.
The National Pension Scheme (NPS) for teachers and employees of the state has been introduced since February 1, 2005. The country’s volatile stock market has been given the responsibility by abolishing the Old Pension System (OPS), the social security applicable to teachers and employees to survive with honour after retirement.
While on duty, the employee deposits 10% of his salary and the government deposits 14% to the NSDL, the fund manager of the system for investment in various financial institutions. Although there is a monthly payment of a portion of the profits earned from investing this money in the stock market, whether or how much the money is received will depend on the stock market. This is a terrible irony for the working class. Can we believe that the stock market, controlled by big capitalists and a handful of individuals, will take care of the needs of the families of the elderly during retirement?
Pensions are a service but the capitalists have been given the responsibility to do business with this service. Is it appropriate to allow an old age home to do business? How reasonable is this government law? The government has decided against the demand for the restoration of the old pension (OPS) by ignoring the necessity.
“How reasonable is it to include teachers and employees who have worked continuously for 20-30 years in the new pension system where ministers, MLAs and MPs get monthly pensions under OPS after working for a few years after being elected,” AAGNPSEA president Achyutananda Hazarika questioned.
“NPS-covered teachers and employees are receiving only Rs. 500 to Rs 3,000 per month on retirement. This is not only the situation of working teachers and employees but also everyone working in government jobs in the future. Wouldn’t the people have a voice for the economic disaster of your grandchildren or brothers and sisters? Or will it prevent rising children from getting government jobs,” Hazarika also questioned.
He said they spend their salaries and pensions on neighbouring shops and markets for daily necessities. This means that the neighbouring shops and markets depend on the monthly imports of teachers, employees and pensioners. Today, more than 11,000 teachers and employees have retired under the NPS and are not getting a living. If millions of people over 60 who are about to retire shortly do not have money to shop, these small shopkeepers and traders who earn their living by selling local groceries, vegetables, clothes, medicines etc. will face a deep economic crisis and affect the local economy as a whole. Everyone should seriously realize it.
“The state government has to collect large amounts of money from revenue for NPS and pay it to NSDL. If there was no NPS, the state government could have spent this huge amount of money on development and the debt burden would have been much reduced. Today, the government has to impose new taxes or raise the prices of goods to pay for the huge amount of debt it has borrowed. Is it still beyond question that the NPS is good,” he further said.
He added that the unpleasant truth is that not too long ago, all government decisions in India may be taken by 2-3 capitalists like Adani-Ambani. Independent India is moving towards economic dependence. For these reasons, after the economic collapse of many countries in Europe and South America, 22 countries have abandoned the NPS system and reverted to the old ways. We must all take responsibility to protect our country.
Demanding restoration of OPS, he said, “From today, arrangements have been made to distribute petitions about NPS to the general public so that everyone can come forward to solve the problem. The target is to distribute about one million petitions in the next month. This is the view of the leadership of the organizations.”
The NF Railway Mazdoor Union, Joint Council of Trade Unions- Assam, Assam State Primary Teachers Sanmilan, All India State Govt. Employees Federation, All Assam District Administration Employees Union, Assam Treasury Employees Union, Retired High School Teachers Association, All Assam Grade-IV Government Employees Sanmilon, All Assam Judicial Employees Association, Assam College Teachers Association, All Assam Janasangyog
Employees Association, Sadou Asom Karmachari Parishad, Assam Secondary Teachers and Employees Association, Assam Junior College Teachers and Employees Association, Assam High School Teachers Association, All Assam Head of Department Ministerial Officers Association, Sadou Asom Sanmilito Sikshak Mancha, All India Central Council of Trade Unions etc . supported the programme.
In Guwahati Meghdoot Bhawan, Cotton University, Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training, Assam, Dispur College, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Excise Commissioner’s Office, Narengi College, Directorate of Health Services, Kar Bhawan, District Transport Officer’s Office etc. places the protest were took placed.