Restoration of old pension scheme: key election issue this time: Bhagwant Mann

Employees should ask all political parties to clear their stand on pension scheme: AAP

Arvind Kejriwal government has already given its nod to restore old pension scheme

Chandigarh, May 14

Batting for the restoration of the old pension scheme (2004) for government employees, Punjab unit chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Lok Sabha nominee from Sangrur constituency, Bhagwant Mann said that the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi had already given its nod to restore the old pension scheme for government employees, saying it was now the turn of the Punjab government to follow suit.

In a statement issued from party headquarters in Chandigarh here on Wednesday, Mann said that the Captain Amarinder Singh Government had, like other categories of people, befooled the employees in the state which, he said, had led the employees and employees’ organizations to taking to the road route.

Terming the introduction of the new pension as anti-employees, the AAP leader said that the SAD-BJP and the Congress-led governments were running away from their primary duties. He said the government should move a resolution in the coming assembly session to expedite the matter.

Slamming the state government, Mann said it should immediately abolish contractual and our-source appointments and regularize the services of the large number of employees in the state, demanding a standing policy of recruitment for employees on a permanent basis. 

Accusing the preceding governments for delaying implementation of the recommendations of the 6th pay commission, AAP leader said first the SAD-BJP government had been dilly-dallying on its implementation, and now the Captain  government was dragging its feet on the issue, saying the state government was responsible for delaying the release of three dearness allowance (DA) installments.

Mann further said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would try its best to bring the government on its toes to press it for the acceptance of the long-pending demands of the employees. He assured that it would see that all the long-pending demands of the employees were acceded to when it forms the government in 2022.