<p>Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Sunday hinted that his party’s manifesto will include the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a promise that helped defeat the BJP in Himachal Pradesh last year. </p>.<p>"Our manifesto will be released in two days. We have sympathy for all, including [those who want] OPS. We are working out the formalities [on OPS]. This is the Congress' commitment," Shivakumar told reporters. </p>.<p>Even the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) has promised in its Janata Manifesto that the NPS will be reviewed. The regional party has promised a new pension scheme comprising the best of NPS and OPS. </p>.<p>With this, both Congress and JD(S) would look to woo government employees who are unhappy with the National Pension System (NPS). </p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/karnataka/bjp-seeking-votes-in-pm-modis-name-in-karnataka-cong-going-vocal-for-local-jairam-ramesh-1214403.html" target="_blank">BJP seeking votes in PM Modi's name in Karnataka, Cong going 'vocal for local': Jairam Ramesh</a></strong></p>.<p>Out of 7.41 lakh government employees in Karnataka, there are 2.97 lakh covered under the NPS. </p>.<p>The NPS was introduced in Karnataka for all government employees who joined the service on or after April 1, 2006. But, several government employees are unhappy with NPS, which is a market-linked retirement scheme. It is said that the anger towards NPS influenced the election outcome in Himachal Pradesh. </p>.<p>In late February, when government employees announced an indefinite work boycott, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government formed a committee on reintroducing OPS by studying states that have scrapped the NPS. The committee is to give a report before May.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, a chief ministerial aspirant, hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for questioning the Congress' five poll guarantees. "Implementing the five guarantees is our commitment, our political experience. We will approve them in the first Cabinet meeting and they'll be implemented form June. The five guarantees are like the five fingers of the hand," he said, referring to the Congress' symbol. </p>.<p>Mocking Modi for saying that Congress leaders "abused" him 91 times, Shivakumar said: "I'm surprised that a big personality known as Vishwaguru comes to Karnataka and counts the number of times he was criticised. We expected him to talk about development and where Rs 20 lakh crore given during the Covid-19 pandemic went." </p>.<p>Shivakumar also flayed Modi for urging citizens to vote for him. "What's the connection between him and Karnataka? What has the double-engine government done?" he said. </p>
<p>Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Sunday hinted that his party’s manifesto will include the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a promise that helped defeat the BJP in Himachal Pradesh last year. </p>.<p>"Our manifesto will be released in two days. We have sympathy for all, including [those who want] OPS. We are working out the formalities [on OPS]. This is the Congress' commitment," Shivakumar told reporters. </p>.<p>Even the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) has promised in its Janata Manifesto that the NPS will be reviewed. The regional party has promised a new pension scheme comprising the best of NPS and OPS. </p>.<p>With this, both Congress and JD(S) would look to woo government employees who are unhappy with the National Pension System (NPS). </p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/karnataka/bjp-seeking-votes-in-pm-modis-name-in-karnataka-cong-going-vocal-for-local-jairam-ramesh-1214403.html" target="_blank">BJP seeking votes in PM Modi's name in Karnataka, Cong going 'vocal for local': Jairam Ramesh</a></strong></p>.<p>Out of 7.41 lakh government employees in Karnataka, there are 2.97 lakh covered under the NPS. </p>.<p>The NPS was introduced in Karnataka for all government employees who joined the service on or after April 1, 2006. But, several government employees are unhappy with NPS, which is a market-linked retirement scheme. It is said that the anger towards NPS influenced the election outcome in Himachal Pradesh. </p>.<p>In late February, when government employees announced an indefinite work boycott, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government formed a committee on reintroducing OPS by studying states that have scrapped the NPS. The committee is to give a report before May.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, a chief ministerial aspirant, hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for questioning the Congress' five poll guarantees. "Implementing the five guarantees is our commitment, our political experience. We will approve them in the first Cabinet meeting and they'll be implemented form June. The five guarantees are like the five fingers of the hand," he said, referring to the Congress' symbol. </p>.<p>Mocking Modi for saying that Congress leaders "abused" him 91 times, Shivakumar said: "I'm surprised that a big personality known as Vishwaguru comes to Karnataka and counts the number of times he was criticised. We expected him to talk about development and where Rs 20 lakh crore given during the Covid-19 pandemic went." </p>.<p>Shivakumar also flayed Modi for urging citizens to vote for him. "What's the connection between him and Karnataka? What has the double-engine government done?" he said. </p>
