Opposing the SAD-BJP Government’s decision to increase retirement age of Government employees to 60 years, Punjab Congress on Wednesday described it a great betrayal with 65 lakh unemployed educated youth who are waiting for new job avenues. The decision to enhance the retirement age to 60 years was taken by the Punjab cabinet on Tuesday, mainly to reduce the burden of increasing pension on the State Exchequer.
Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, addressing a party workers’ meeting during his Statewide tour, said that SAD-BJP was running away from its responsibility and promise of providing suitable jobs to the educated youth else pay the unemployment allowance of Rs 1,000 per month. “The Government decision also belies the tall claims being made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir Badal that there was no fund crunch in the Government,” he added.
State party chief said that the Cabinet had extended the retirement age to postpone the payment of retirement benefits to the retiring employees. “The decision is neither in the interest of serving employees nor the unemployed youth,” he added. Meanwhile, reacting sharply to Bajwa’s statement opposing enhancement of retirement age, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) posed a counter question pointing out the Congress-led UPA Government’s decision to increased retirement age of Central Government employees to 60 years.
“This has exposed the double standards of the Congress leaders. They behave and act differently in Delhi and say just opposite when go to States,” said SAD secretary and spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema. “SAD-BJP is bound to repeat the history of implementing its election manifesto in toto as in the previous term,” said Cheema, urging the Congress leaders to have patience to see all the promises duly fulfilled well within time.