ES Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Apr 13:  Reiterating its demand for restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), the State Unit of National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS) has announced to join the nationwide rally on April 16 next to show its anguish to the government and highlight the flaws in the National Pension Scheme (NPS), which it says is unable to meet the basic necessity of social standard of living after retirement from service.
Addressing reporters at the press club here on Thursday, General Secretary  NMOPS (AP), Dejum Yinyo informed that it will organize a peaceful rally to join the nationwide protest on Sunday from Akashdeep to IG Park in the state capital. In this regard a representation to was submitted to the Chief Secretary on Apri 10 last.
The central government through the Parliament Act-2003 implemented the Contributory Pension Scheme which was later named National Pension Scheme replacing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees who joined the service after January 2004. Accordingly, the government of Arunachal Pradesh has implemented the same with effect from January 2008.The government employees appointed to various posts on or after 01/01/2004 are not eligible for the OPS and are forced to opt for the national pension scheme (NPS). 
"The new NPS has broken the social, morale and financial backbone of the retired employees who have provided more than 30 years of satisfactory services to the state and nation," he said.
Yinyo added that the interest of the government employees have been curtailed by the NPS by not granting any pension after their retirement, even after giving their whole life for the development of the state and nation.
Roing MLA, Mutchu Mithi had raised the issue during the state assembly session, but the Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) Chowna Mein responded by stating ‘it is a central issue not a state issue, therefore, the state government cannot act on it.If it is a central issue then how come some states have restored the OPS? Yinyo questioned the state government while stating that states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal have banned the NPS and implemented the OPS.
"If other states can ban new NPS then why cannot the Government of Arunachal Pradesh do the same for the welfare of its employees?" he said.
Therefore, we earnestly request the state government to kindly consider our demand and convert the NPS to OPS, so that the old practice of obtaining pension by the kith and kin of the government employees may be maintained, he further said.
Several representations and reminders have been submitted to the state government in this regard but to no avail. Even a series of democratic movements was organized by the NMOPS stressing the demand for the restoration of OPS.
NMOPS is a federation of central and state government employees formed to oppose the National Pension Scheme (NPS) of the Government of India.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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