SHIMLA/MANDI: As Himachal Congress has made the restoration of Old Pension Scheme(OPS) for state’s employees as one of its major poll planks, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today in Thunag charged that Congress was misleading the employees on the OPS issue.
The OPS has turned out to be a “political hot boiler” among the BJP and Congress leaders ahead of the coming state assembly polls that can be declared anytime by the Election Commission of India.
Though the state employees remained a divided lot, but the BJP, Congress and new comer AAP are trying to patronise the highly politicized employees and pensioners in the state.
The employees had demonstrated solidarity on the OPS and had staged a massive protest twice during the State Vidahan Sabha sessions that had knocked out sleep of the ruling BJP.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur threw the ball of implementing the OPS in the court of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In fact, Jai Ram Thakur has been trying to win over the employees in each function and he has accepted titles ,like "Jaiya Mama..." meted out to him by certain employees, with humour mainly in Sirmaur.
HP Congress has already made OPS as its top priority in its proposed election Manifesto, committing publicly that the party would implement OPS as soon as it comes to Power in Himachal Pradesh.
HP Congress has also termed all "announcements of Chief Minister" as “Jumlebaji” being declared at the fag end of his present tenure to mislead the people.
Chief Minister, on the other hand, today responded back in Seraj saying that opposition leaders are misleading the employees of the State in the name of OPS.
Addressing the ‘Abhinandan’ function of Officers and Employees of Seraj (Seraj Sarv Adhikari Avm Karamchari Varg) at Thunag in Seraj Vidhan Sabha, his home segment, Chief Minister said employees are the backbone of the State Government.
They not only help in effective implementation of the policies and programmes of the State Government, but also ensure that the benefits of the development reaches the persons living at the lowest ebb.
Thakur asked the Congress leaders why the Congress Chief Ministers have not implemented OPS in their ruling States even after ten months of their announcements.
Jai Ram Thakur claimed it was for sure that whenever the OPS would be implemented in the country it would definitely be implemented during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He urged the employees of the State to have faith in the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he would definitely come up to their expectations.
Chief Minister said that the State Government has always maintained cordial relations with its employees and most of the issues pertaining to the employees were resolved during this period, despite the pandemic.
He said that despite the COVID-19 crisis, the State Government has ensured full salary, pension and other benefits to the employees so that they do not face any inconvenience.
He said that the period of regularization of contract employees was reduced from three years to two years and one year relaxation to regularize the daily wagers.
Chief Minister said that issues of Computer teachers, issues of outsource employees etc would be considered sympathetically.
He said that the State Government has recently decided to constitute ‘Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas and Rozgar Nigam Company’ which would ensure deployment of skilled, semi-skilled and other manpower in Government Departments, Boards, Corporations and Universities etc. He said that this would provide much needed relief to the employees.
Jai Ram Thakur said on independence Day this year, the State Government had announced to release the first instalment of arrears of revised pay scale to the employees and pensioners with effect from 1st January, 2016.
Arrears of revised pay scale will be given to lakhs of employees of Himachal Pradesh , which would benefit about 2.25 lakh employees and 1.90 lakh pensioners of the state, he added.
He said that the daily wages of the daily wagers has been increased by Rs. 140. In the year 2017, the daily wagers were getting Rs. 210, which has been increased to Rs. 350 by the present State government.
He said that the contribution of NPS has been increased from 10 to 14 percent to benefit more than one lakh NPS employees of the state, besides providing them benefits of Death Cum Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) at par with OPS employees.
He said that the upper limit of gratuity has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Chief Minister address the factions of School Lecturer Association and State NGO Federation as the state employees, as always has been the case, remained a divided entity in state politics.
Both BJP, Congress and the new entrant AAP are trying to patronise their factions to gain sympathy of the pensioners and working employees, who make also make a difference in electoral outcomes in the polls.
Much will depend which party best rope in the larger support of the various employees’ factions.
