Punjab Cabinet approves implementation of old pension scheme
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Nov, 2022 02:07 PM
Chandigarh, Nov 18 (IANS) Eyeing Gujarat elections, the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government on Friday approved the notification for implementing the old pension scheme (OPS) in Punjab, directly benefitting more than 1.75 lakh government employees.
A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the council of Ministers held under the leadership of the Chief Minister here.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said the government has approved the OPS for its employees currently covered under New Pension Scheme (NPS), fulfilling a long-pending demand of employees of the state.
This will directly benefit more than 1.75 lakh employees currently covered under NPS. In addition to this, 1.26 lakh employees are already covered under the existing OPS.
The scheme is aimed at safeguarding the future of government employees and recognising their contribution towards the state. In order to ensure that the scheme being introduced is financially sustainable for the exchequer in the future also, the government will be contributing proactively towards creation of a pension corpus which will service the pension in future to the beneficiaries of the scheme.
This contribution towards the pension corpus will be Rs 1,000 crore per annum initially and will gradually increase in future.
Besides, the current accumulated corpus with NPS is Rs 16,746 crore for which the state will request Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of the government of India to refund this amount for effective utilisation at its end.
Organised by EcoSikh and Clean Air Punjab, a citizen's collective working on the issue of air pollution, over 50 prominent citizens across the state attended the meeting.
Disclosing this here on Wednesday, Amarinder Singh, who announced to float a new political party with seat sharing with parties, including the BJP, said he had been discussing various options with Home Minister Amit Shah, whom he will be meeting in Delhi again on Thursday, and others.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said that India is the world's largest generic and affordable medicine supplier. "Pharma sector is our religion, we believe in the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", said the Minister.
According to sources, Kejriwal will visit Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda on October 28 and 29. He will have a dialogue with farmers on Thursday and will meet businessmen on Friday.
The NCB team arrived here this afternoon and is understood to have recorded Wankhede's statement besides summoning a 'Panch-Witness' Prabhakar Sail for probe.
The petition alleged that as per the video of the meeting, the CM was asking party workers to make "500-600-1,000 volunteers" in every district of north and west Haryana, and be ready to "face sticks, imprisonment", which will make them "big leaders".
