Rally of govt employees at Ramleela Ground to restore old pension scheme

New Delhi: A large number of central and state government employees on Thursday attended a rally at the Ramleela Ground here demanding the revival of old pension scheme.

The 'Pension Adhikar Maharally' held by the Joint Forum for Restoration of Old Pension Scheme was attended by nearly 1 lakh employees of central and state governments affiliated to various employee unions, the forum convenor Shiv Gopal Mishra said.

He said the demonstration was held to press for the demand of employees to end the national pension scheme and restore the old pension scheme.

A declaration was passed by the rally to unite the employees and create awareness over the agitation for restoration of the old pension scheme through various means, including social media, he said.

The forum will also submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of the old pension scheme. It also said that it will intensify its agitation in coming days and may consider countrywide strikes if the demand is not fulfilled.

Under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), employees get a defined pension. An employee is entitled for a 50 per cent amount of the last drawn salary as pension. The scheme was discontinued by the NDA government in 2003 with effect from April 1, 2004.