'It will help retired govt employees': BJP hails Modi govt's Unified Pension Scheme

Party spokesperson and former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the employees will contribute only 10 per cent, while the government will contribute 18 per cent to the benefits.

New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday hailed the Unified Pension Scheme announced by the Modi government saying that the decision would strengthen the social security net for retired government employees.

Party spokesperson and former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the move was aimed at helping retired government employees and it was a long pending demand. He said that the employees will contribute only 10 per cent, while the government will contribute 18 per cent to the benefits.

“We are proud of Prime Minister Modi that he listened and understood the concerns of the (central government) employees, set up a committee to look into that, and a meaningful decision was made. On behalf of the party, we greet the government, especially the Prime Minister for it,” he said.

He also sought to question the Congress for calling the Modi establishment a “U-turn” government after some of the ruling party's policies and legislations like the Digital India Act 2023, the lateral entry provision, taxes on indexation were not implemented and rolled back. Prasad said that the Congress, which has criticised the BJP over the new pension scheme, has not implemented it in Congress-ruled states.

“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi -- has his government implemented the Old Pension Scheme as promised in Himachal Pradesh. The Congress party has become so wary of the falsehood of its assurance about pension, it could not muster the courage to include that as a part of its manifesto in the Lok Sabha elections,” Prasad said.