APCPSEA demands restoration of Old Pension Scheme

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Contributory Pension Scheme Employees Association (APCPSEA) on Tuesday announced that the association will continue to agitate till the State government implements the Old Pension Scheme to employees as assured by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy prior to the 2019 State Assembly elections.

The association leaders said they would oppose the Guaranteed Pension Scheme (GPS) announced by the State. The APCPSEA general secretary K Rajeswara Rao in a press release on Tuesday stated that there was no clarity in the Guaranteed Pension Scheme (GPS) announced by the State government.

He alleged that some employees’ associations are giving support to the GPS without having any clarity on the GPS. He said gross injustice was meted out to the employees and the teachers by implementing the Contributory Pension scheme with effect from September 1, 2004.

Rajeswara Rao said the APCPSEA has given a call for Chalo Vijayawada on September 1 with a slogan ‘Why Not OPS’ demanding the State government to implement the Old Pension scheme.

He said the employees get more benefits under the Old Pension Scheme as they get 50 per cent of the basic salary as pension, health card, provident fund and other benefits like the PRC and DA. He said the State government was stating that 50 per cent of the basic salary will be given as pension after the retirement under the Guaranteed Pension Scheme but the government is not revealing other details.

He said confusion was prevailing among the employees on getting health cards, PRC, DA and other benefits under the GPS. He said the employees get full information only after the release of the draft of the GO on GPS.

He recalled that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had assured the government employees before the elections that the Contributory Pension scheme will be scrapped and Old Pension Scheme will be implemented if the YSRCP is voted to power.