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Old pension scheme benefits: Union law minister’s remarks raise hopes among ‘Special BTC 2004’ teachers
Recently on July 28, Union law and justice minister Kiren Rijiju while answering a question in Parliament clarified that there is no legal impediment in issuing old pension orders to employees selected for the posts advertised prior to January 1, 2004.
Over 45,000 teachers of the government-run primary schools of Uttar Pradesh are hopeful of getting the benefits of the old pension scheme amidst Central government preparations to extend the benefits to employees, whose posts were advertised before the new pension scheme (NPS) came into effect on January 1, 2004.
Recently on July 28, Union law and justice minister Kiren Rijiju while answering a question in Parliament clarified that there is no legal impediment in issuing old pension orders to employees selected for the posts advertised prior to January 1, 2004.
While the Central government implemented the new pension scheme on January 1, 2004, the Uttar Pradesh government implemented the new pension scheme on April 1, 2005. The advertisement for the ‘Special BTC 2004’ batch in UP was released on January 14, 2004, over a year before the implementation of the NPS, but due to the appointment letters being issued to the selected 45,660 teachers later between December 2005 and January 2006, they still have not been able to get the benefit of the old pension scheme.
However, now after the reply of the Law Minister in Parliament, the UP teachers of the Special BTC 2004 batch have also started seeking legal opinions.
“The reply of the minister has once again made the issue of old pension becomes relevant again. The teachers and employees of the state had been demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme for a long time. We will again move ahead on this issue now,” said Amod Srivastava, legal advisor of the Special BTC Teachers Welfare Association.
Even before this, these teachers had fought for the restoration of the old pension scheme from the Allahabad high court to the Supreme Court but failed to get any relief. Now after the statement of the law minister, these teachers are waiting for the order to be issued by the Central government. After the order, these teachers will also raise their voices for their rights, he added.
