Facing heat from the employees over the delay in implementing the old pension scheme (OPS), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Punjab Government is planning to implement it soon, especially ahead of the crucial Gujarat assembly where the party is trying to make inroads.
Punjab Cabinet, in its meeting scheduled on Friday, is expected to discuss the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) before its implementation. However, the major challenge ahead of the cash-strained state is a deposit of nearly Rs 18,000 crore to the pension fund authorities.
It has been learnt that the state Finance Department is working overtime to chalk out the modalities to build up the required fund. Also, the government is taking a legal opinion on the issue.
Notably, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had, ahead of Diwali, announced reverting to Old Pension Scheme (OPS). My government is considering reverting to the Old Pension System (OPS). I have asked my Chief Secretary to study the feasibility and modalities of its implementation. We stand committed to the welfare of our employees, he had tweeted.
The announcement was made, the previous month, ahead of the assembly polls in the neighboring hill state Himachal Pradesh after the states agitating employees threatened to hold a series of poll-khol rallies across the State against the AAP which was promising OPS as its poll guarantee.