Guwahati, Jan 24 (PTI) Assam government employees, who have been pressing for reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), on Tuesday said they would intensify agitation if the government does not fulfil their demands.
“We have been holding protests for replacing the New Pension Scheme (NPS) with the old one. The government has failed to heed to our demands even after repeated assurances from their side,” Achyutananda Hazarika, president of the All Assam Government NPS Employees Association (AAGNPSEA), said at a press conference here.
“As part of our next series of protests, we will observe a ‘black day’ on February 1 and a one-day strike on February 10,” he said.
The AAGNPSEA claimed that retired employees under the NPS get a very nominal amount every month as pension, through which sustenance is not possible.
Hazarika also said that the governments of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh “have already restored” the OPS.
“If the government fails to act, we will intensify our protests,” he added.
The AAGNPSEA had organised a ‘foot march’ in Guwahati on November 8 last year, which was attended by over 20,000 government employees, as well as leaders and members of workers’ federations from other states.
A sit-in demonstration was also held here on December 21 by the AAGNPSEA.
Assam has around 5 lakh government employees, out of which around 2.4 lakh are under the NPS. PTI SSG RBT RBT
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