RANCHI: There is no proposal before the Jharkhand government to revive the old pension scheme scrapped by the central government and states with effect from January 1, 2004, chief minister Hemant Soren told the state assembly on Monday.
Soren said the government will take a call on reviving the old pension scheme once a proposal reaches the government.
“The member has raised the issue in light of the announcement made by the Rajasthan government. They have also now just made the announcement. However, no such proposal is under consideration in our government as yet,” Soren told the assembly on a question by Congress legislator Pradeep Yadav.
To be sure, Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) also promised revival of the old pension scheme ahead of the 2019 assembly elections when the JMM-led coalition won the state elections with a comfortable majority.
The old pension scheme for government employees was discontinued in the country from April 1, 2004 and the new National Pension Scheme (NPS) was implemented.
Ahead of the assembly session, a delegation of the state government employees met Hemant Soren last week to remind the government about its promise. A statement issued by the chief minister’s office said that Soren assured the delegation that his government wil look into all rightful demands of the employees.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the assembly session, a delegation of the state government employees met Hemant Soren last week to remind the government about its promise. A statement issued by the chief minister’s office said that Soren assured the delegation that his government wil look into all rightful demands of the employees.
{{/usCountry}}Employee associations argue that under the old scheme, they used to get 50 per cent of the last-drawn salary as pension every month, whereas in the new scheme, it is uncertain. In the new scheme, the pension amount for the employees is completely dependent on where they choose to invest their pension funds.
‘No plan to ban liquor’
Replying to a demand by Congress legislator Dipika Pandey Singh who sought prohibition in the state, Hemant Soren said his government has no such plan. Dipika Pandey Singh argued that prohibiting liquor in the state will also help in preventing atrocities against women.
“The government does not have any such plan to prohibit liquor sale. As far as atrocities against women are concerned, we are equally concerned about it. However, liquor is not the sole reason behind atrocities against women. We have already started Phulo Khani scheme for women where women involved in sale of country-made liquor are being shifted to other means of livelihood and 25,000 women have already benefitted from it,” said the chief minister.