Assam government employees and teachers, who staged a dharna here on Monday seeking the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), have decided to hit the streets with their families and dependents in Guwahati on May 1 in support of their demand.

All Assam Government NPS Employees’ Association (AAGNPSEA) president Achyutananda Hazarika after a three-hour dharna at Chachal and a day-long non-cooperation in their respective offices said, they remain firm on their demand for OPS and will only intensify their democratic agitation if their request is not heeded.

“Without a secure retirement life, the families of teachers and employees are bound to face severe difficulties. If the government remains indifferent after today’s demonstration, the struggle will intensify with the participation of teachers and their families. We have tentatively decided on a street protest in Guwahati on May 1 and it will be extended to other districts in phases. We will take out a procession. The government has to acknowledge and share its responsibility towards the state’s teachers, employees, their families, society and socio-economic stability,” Hazarika told The Telegraph.

There are about 3.5 lakh state government employees. If they hit the streets with families/dependents, it could cause a major headache for the BJP-led state government in an election year.

According to the employees’ association, the OPS is the only authentic approach to ensuring financial security for government teachers and employees during their retirement, not the NPS or the UPS.

“The Assam government has dashed the hopes of teachers and employees by stating in the Assembly that it has not considered reintroducing the OPS system in the state, despite repeated requests, appeals, demands and protests,” Hazarika said in a statement issued jointly with AAGNPSEA general secretary Apurba Sarma.

“The unprecedented financial deprivation faced by those who have retired under the NPS in the past cannot be ignored. The decision to implement the newly announced UPS system for NPS teachers and employees in the state has overlooked the shortcomings of the system. We demand retirement security, and to achieve this, OPS must be restored,” he stated.

The NPS came into effect on January 1, 2004, for central government employees but sustained opposition resulting in the introduction of the UPS, which too is being protested. The employees can choose either but can’t change their decision later. The UPS was notified on January 24 for implementation from April 1
this year.

When asked about the state government’s recent decision to offer OPS to those whose recruitment process started before 2005, Hazarika said that this move will benefit only around 10,000 employees who have applied based on government-issued
advertisement.

“This group does not include those recruited by colleges, which is over 40,000, because the advertisement in their case was issued by their respective colleges. We want the government to restore the OPS immediately or till such time a decision is taken they should improve the shortcomings of the UPS or the NPS,” Hazarika said.