From the Media reports
UNIFIED PENSION SCHEME: MIXED RESPONSE
BMS WELCOMES IT
“Certainly, UPS is a better option than the existing National Pension Scheme (NPS) as it contains an
assured 50% pension, dearness relief, family pension, increased government contribution from 14%
to 18.5% and additional lump-sum payment on retirement,” Ravindra Himte, general secretary, BMS
said in a statement issued on Sunday. “However, there are still some differences as compared to
OPS, like UPS is a contributory pension scheme whereas an employee did not contribute anything
under OPS and there is a feature of commutation of pension available in OPS which is not available
in NPS or UPS,” Himte said. BMS is of the view that some other important features of UPS are still not
clear like the ratio of lump-sum payment on exit; revision of pension on future pay commissions;
continuation of tax benefits and increase in pension on completion of 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100 years.
“For these clarifications, we have to wait till the publication of detailed notification of UPS,” Himte said,
adding BMS will decide its further action in this regard only after a detailed study of the features of the
UPS.
The CITU, on the other hand, denounced the UPS as another dubious desperate effort to deceive
the government employees of their due full right and urged for restoration of the old pension scheme
(OPS). “The package offered by the government in the name of UPS reflects the same deceptive ploy
of depriving the government employees of their legitimate dues on account of pension,” Tapan Sen,
general secretary CITU said urging the government to restore the non-contributory defined assured
Old Pension Scheme.
The AITUC is of the view that UPS does not match the Old Pension Scheme which is basically non
contributory in nature. “Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) decided by the Modi government for central
government employees is nothing but an extension of the existing NPS as the government employees
will have to continue to contribute 10% of their wages in UPS also,” Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary,
AITUC said. “UPS will have a lot of aberrations once implemented. AITUC reiterates its stand to
continue to fight for restoring back the non-contributory Old Pension Scheme,” Kaur added.
MAHARASHTRA GOES TO ELECTIONS
The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) which was passed by the
Union Cabinet on Saturday. The move comes on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the
state and interacted with 'Lakhpati Didis' – women members of self-help groups who are earning Rs 1
lakh annually.
JCM STAFF SIDE
Staff Side in JCM wants the full pension be granted on completion of 20 years instead of 25 years as
proposed in UPS. "The relaxation will do justice to those who join government service after attaining
35 years of age due to belated induction and make them eligible for enhanced coverage under UPS,"
said M Raghavaiah, leader (staff side) at the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) for central
government employees. The other demands include that a fourth of the monthly emoluments be
credited to ensure that a reasonable lump sum payment is given to a retiring employee and that
additional pensions be offered to pensioners who cross 80 years of age, as was the case under the
Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Shiv Gopal Mishra, secretary of the JCM, had also urged the state governments to implement the
scheme and extend the benefits to government teachers and municipal workers. The Union cabinet
on Sunday gave its nod to the UPS, which will benefit 2.3 million government employees, offering an
assured amount of half their average basic salary drawn over the 12 months preceding
superannuation for those completing at least 25 years of service.
