Guwahati (Assam)| Nov, 8 : A mega demonstration under the title of PODOYATRA was on Tuesday the 8th November organised by All Assam Government NPS Employees Association at Khanapara Guwahati Assam, under the leadership of it’s state president Achyutananda Hazarika in which thousands of NPS Employees and their leaders who had come from all across the country participated.
According to statement issued by J&K Chapter of National Old Pension Restoration United Front (J&K NOPRUF) the demonstrators were demanding restoration of old pension scheme for all those central government and state government employees who are yet working under National Pension System (NPS). B P Singh Rawat national president NOPRUF (National Old Pension Restoration United Front), according to the above referred statement, was invited to participate in the PODOYATRA as Chief Guest. Shri Sampat Kumar Swamy National Advisor NOPRUF was special guest. J&K President Gulzabair Daing and J&K Chief Organiser Omkar Parihar who were among special invitees from Jammu and Kashmir also participated in the PODOYATRA held in Assam. The leaders of NOPRUF who had come from all across the country, overwhelmingly participated in the protest demonstration. The leaders urged the incumbent Government both at the centre and as well as in all the states to restore old pension scheme (OPS) for all government employees in order to secure their post retirement life. It may be recalled here that the Government introduced new pension scheme at the centre and in most of the states from January 2004, which is not secure as old pension scheme”, as claimed by the protesting NPS employees.
In addition to the State President All Assam Government NPS Employees Achyutananda Hazarika various NOPRUF leaders also addressed the gathering on the occasion include National President NOPRUF BP Rawat, Virender Dubey, Gulzabir Daing ( J&K President), Sampat Kumar Sawamy (National Advisor NOPRUF), and others.
In his speech National President NOPRUF BP Rawat said, “I appeal state government of Assam and honourable Prime Minister of India Narendramodi Ji that the employees who worked under NPS (New Pension Scheme) and have attained retirement from their services are getting just one or two thousand rupees as their monthly pension after retirement where as the people at the helm of affairs are getting a sound pension after retirement which is totally a double standard on the part of government”. He said that under NPS an employee’s post retirement life is not secure at all, rather it is being put to risk “. “So we have assembled here from all states and UTs of the country in order to aware the people of nation that this is totally injustice with government employees”, he added”. ” NOPRUF has recently carried out a historic Niyay Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to highlight the demand of OPS and is strengthening it’s organization to launch another mega agitation in future through out India, if government failed to fulfill the legitimate demand of NPS employees”, he added. BP Rawat said, ” Irrespective of region, religion, colour, creed and cost, NPS issue is the issue of nation, issue of sixty lakh employees of the country, issue of future generations of country. So we have gathered in Assam to raise our demand to honourable Prime Minister of India to restore old pension scheme in favor of NPS employees and in favour of nation. So that Seventy five lakh government employees and their families would get a hope of better post retirement life”.