Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that the state government was committed to providing the old pension scheme (OPS) to its employees but the Central Government, despite repeated requests, had not returned Rs 9,242 crore contributions made under the new pension scheme (NPS). He was replying to a question of Una MLA Satpal Singh Satti during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha here.
Agnihotri said that the state government had fulfilled the first guarantee of restoring the OPS given by the Congress before the 2022 Assembly elections. “We have provided the OPS and so far 117,521 government employees have opted for it while 1,356 employees are keen to continue with the NPS,” he added.
Agnihotri said that at present, Rs 9,242 crore of contribution made under the NPS was with the Central Government, including the 50 per cent share contributed by the state government. “The Central Government has invested this Rs 9,242 crore in bonds and so it is not refunding it to the state. We are continuously asking the Central Government to return the deposited money so that the state government can give it to retiring employees,” he added.
He said that the Central Government had imposed a cut of Rs 1,700 crore on the loan limit allowed to Himachal after the state government restored the OPS.
Agnihotri said, “We had made a promise to the state government employees that the OPS will be restored and we have fulfilled it. The issue of the grant of the OPS to the employees of the boards and the corporations is under the consideration of the government. We have already implemented the OPS for the employees of the HRTC, which is also a corporation.”
Money deposited in bonds
The Centre has invested this Rs 9,242 crore in bonds and so it is not refunding it to the state. We are continuously asking the Centre to return the deposited money so that the state government can give it to retiring employees. Mukesh Agnihotri, Deputy Chief Minister
