Govt employees in Himachal to hold protest demanding old pension scheme

Himachal Pradesh government employees will on Saturday hold a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha demanding restoration of the old pension scheme.

Pradeep Thakur, president of the 'New Pension Scheme Karamchari Mahasangh (NPSKM)' that is leading the protest, said the agitation was necessitated as the

the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government has failed to reinstate the old pension scheme despite several requests.

He said the employees will reach Chaura Maidan to participate in the 'Pension Adhikar Rally' on Saturday, the last day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of the state assembly.

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Shimla police said permission has been granted for the NPSKM protest at Ambedkar Chowk in Chaura Maidan from 10 am to 12.30 pm.

It has asked the protesting employees to ensure that they do not take out a march or disrupt movement of vehicles.

The state employees had previously held a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha demanding the implementation of the old pension scheme during the Budget Session on March 3.

The old pension scheme, under which the entire pension amount was given by the government, was discontinued in the country from April 1, 2004.

According to the new scheme, employees contribute 10 per cent of their salary towards pension while the state government contributes 14 per cent.