Newly provincialized teachers' body opposes National Pension Scheme

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Opposing the National Pension Scheme (NPS),the Assam High School Retired Teachers' and Employees' Association (Newly Provincialised) Assam held a meeting to chalk out its future course of action.

The decision to oppose the NPS was taken in a recently conducted meeting where the Association also raised demand of the old pension scheme.

Talking to The Sentinel, the Association's president Galap Chandra Nath said, "Our schools were provincialized with effect from January 1, 2013. The teachers and employees joined their respective schools before January 1, 2004. However, the NPS was started from 2005. We should not be included under the NPS as we have joined our duties before 2004."

The Association reiterated that they will not agree to the NPS under any circumstance. It demanded that the teachers and employees should get the benefits like pension, gratituity, health service etc. under the old scheme.

"The teachers and employees of schools that were provincialized in 1985 were receiving pension benefits according to The Assam Services (Pension) Rules 1969.According to the service rule, after a school is recognized its employees receive ad hoc grant as a salaries. Since the day of receiving the ad hoc grant the pension benefits of the employees are counted. In this account, the teachers and employees of the schools that were recognized in 1985 have received their pension.

"Though our schools were provicialized on January 1, 2013, we have been receiving the ad hoc grant since our schools were recognized. Thus, under no circumstance we will not be included under NPS," Nath added.

The Association said that on November 22 it will hold a meeting to discuss over the issue. It also stated to hold agitation to raise their demands.

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