New Delhi: As the NMOPS protest getting heater everyday, it looks like that this time the government employees won’t leave the National Capital till their demands are materialized.
The protest of National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS) workers has hit the streets of the national capital again on the fourth consecutive day as NMOPS Rajasthan and Telangana state units joined the ongoing protest in New Delhi, in a hope that the ruling government will materialize their demands.
On January 28, the NMOPS began their protest in Delhi, in which thousands of government employees demonstrated against the ruling government which was still staged on the fourth consecutive day.
The protesters used slogans such as “NPS GO BACK, OPS COME BACK” to grab the attention of the central government.
A man in his fifties wearing a turban said in despair, “Who will financially help me in my old age, how I will respected life without money, this time the deaf government has to listen our voice”.
According to the protesting employees, “we spend a major part of our life (35-40 years) in service of the government and every employees has the right to live with respect which is mentioned in our constitution but the governments are under pressure of financial institutions like World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) is ending the pension schemes. After January 1,2004 National Pension Scheme (NPF) was implemented among employees serving in the state and centre.”
The protesters claimed that if a person is elected as a corporator, lawmaker or parliamentarian, they are eligible for pension even if that person has assumed office only for a day.
The massive protest was joined by several organisations including Indian Railways Employees Federation (IREF) and National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS).
NMOPS is a non-profit organisation to exchange views, ideas and information in order to restoration of Old Pension Scheme, which was changed by central government since January 1, 2004.
Here are some of the reasons that Government employees give for demanding Old Pension Scheme
# The old pension scheme has Government Provident Fund (GPF).
# Prescribed deduction of 8.33%.
# GPF can be withdrawn any number of times.
# On retirement, the whole amount is given to the employee without leveling any taxes.
# On the death of employee, pension is guaranteed.
# Full amount of GPF is under the control of government.