SAKP to launch stir against National Pension System on February 1, 2023

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Sadou Asom Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) will undertake a Statewide agitational programme on February 1 next in support of its demand for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Announcing this on Monday, SAKP's president Dwipen Sarma said that the organization has been opposing the National Pension System (NPS) as a "suicidal decision" ever since it was adopted in Assam on February 1, 2005. He added that so far 2,30,904 have been appointed under the NPS. Out of these, 7,326 employees have retired and 2,100 died while in service.

The families of the employees who died while in service are getting adequate pension under the OPS, while those who have retired under the NPS are getting monthly pensions of a minimum of Rs 500 and a maximum of Rs 2,400, Sarma said. It is clear that the NPS is pushing the pensioners and their families towards penury, he added.

He mentioned that the SAKP had held discussions with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in 2021 wherein it was also decided that gratuity would be paid to retired Government employees and the State Government's contribution would be enhanced to 14 per cent from 10 per cent.

The SAKP's recent executive meeting at Jorhat decided to resort to an agitational programme in order to protect the interest of more than two lakh employees, Sarma added.

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