With the change at the helm after the 2019 Assembly elections, Government officials and employees in Jharkhand are expecting the reintroduction of Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which was replaced by new scheme that did not go down well with many Government officials due to ambiguity in various aspects of remuneration, sources said on Friday.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which emerged as the single largest party in the State Assembly, had promised in its election manifesto that the party would reintroduce the OPS if it is voted to power. The party’s promise also garnered overwhelming support of Government officials, sources said.
The JMM, as per figures shared by a close source in the thick of affairs, received 49 per cent share of votes cast through postal ballot in 2019 against only 23 per cent in 2014. Also, Government officials had cast only 19,091 votes through postal ballot in 2014, and the figure rose to 40,676 in 2019. “Many Government officials, retired as well as working, had supported the JMM because of the promise of reintroducing the old pension scheme. Now, we are expecting that the Government will fulfill its promise,” said a Government official, requesting anonymity.
On September 29, State Government employees under the banner of National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS), Jharkhand took out a rally at Morhabadi ground demanding the implementation of the old pension scheme. Chief Minister designate Hemant Soren had attended the rally and promised reintroduction of the old scheme if his party is voted to power.
According to NMOPS member, prior to 2004, the retired Government employees used to get pension as per old pension scheme which was fifty per cent of the last salary drawn by the employees. However, in new pension schemes there is neither any clarity nor any fixed amount Government employees getting on his or her retirement, NMOPS members said.
There are more than 65,000 Government employees in the State and they form a sizeable vote bank too, sources said. Soren is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony on Sunday. On the same day, the new Government will also hold its first Cabinet meeting.