Wednesday, 17 November 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Extends his support for the demand of restoration of Old Pension Scheme of employees
Reacting to the claim made by the national president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), J P Nadda on One Rank One Pension (OROP), the former chief minister and head of election campaign committee of the Congress in Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat has said that the Congress led UPA government had taken a decision to grant OROP to the ex servicemen. He said that it has become a habit of the BJP leadership to take credit for the schemes initiated by the Congress government and it is a fact that a decision on OROP was taken during the Congress regime. While initiating the Shaheed Samman Yatra in Chamoli district on Monday, the BJP president had said that the BJP government gave the benefit of OROP to the ex servicemen. Rawat said that everyone knows how an attempt was made to break the resolve of armed forces personnel at Talkatora stadium. He said that Nadda himself said that a provision of Rs 500 crore was made during the last days of UPA government and accordingly the pension was disbursed to some ex servicemen which proves that it was the UPA government which approved the OROP and which was carried forward by the BJP. Launching an attack on BJP, Rawat said that BJP wants to grab power by employing every possible means but the people have understood the real character of the party. He added that the silence of Nadda on the increasing prices, rising unemployment and economy of the country is unfortunate.
Rawat also expressed his concern on the worry expressed by the retiring or about to superannuate employees and their demand of restoration of the old pension scheme. He said that pension act as social and economic security for the employees. Rawat said that he too feels that the old pension scheme should be restored for the social security of the employees. He however added that since the union government has to take a decision on it and it is difficult to restore the old pension without mutual cooperation between the centre and the state governments. Rawat said that the Congress has decided to stand with the demand of the employees and when in power it would pass a proposal in the Vidhan Sabha for restoration of old pension and send it to the union government. He added that the Congress government would end the deduction being made for the golden card scheme.
