Himachal CM says his government committed to implement Old Pension Scheme

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said his government is committed to approving the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state employees at its first cabinet meeting and has written to the Centre to clear the amount collected under NPS contribution.

Addressing a delegation of New Pension Scheme (NPS) employees here, Sukhu said that formula has to be evolved so that the pensioners could get a regular and respectable pension.

He said that the Congress has given 10 guarantees to the people of the state in its manifesto during the general Assembly elections recently and the Government would implement all these guarantees in a phased manner.

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Implementing OPS had been a major poll promise of the Congress.

Sukhu said the state has written to the Centre to clear the amount collected under the NPS contribution.

The chief minister lashed out at the previous BJP Government "for opening over 900 institutions in fag end of its tenure".

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It would create an additional burden of Rs. 5000 crore per annum, he said adding that there was unmindful expenditure with an eye on the polls.

President of NPS Employees Association Pradeep Thakur hailed the decision to implement OPS in the state.

He said that the state government and employees were contributing Rs. 1632 crore per annum to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) which was a huge amount.