Jharkhand Budget 2022: No plans yet to restore old pension scheme for state govt employees

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said there are  no plans now for considering any proposal to bring back the old pension scheme for those state government employees who joined service on or after January 1, 2004.Replying to a query by legislator Pradeep Yadav in the state Assembly, Soren said there was no such proposal under consideration at present. National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS), an umbrella body of more than 14 lakh central and state government employees, had recently written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for NPS modification.

The chief minister said the member had raised the issue in light of the recent announcement by the Rajasthan government but there was no such proposal under consideration and the government will decide on it as and when it comes to it. The old pension scheme for government employees was discontinued in the country from April 1, 2004, and the new National Pension Scheme (NPS) was implemented. A delegation of Government Employees Union had met Soren on February 24, a day before the commencement of the Budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly, demanding restoration of the old pension scheme. Jharkhand state budget for the financial year 2022-23 will be presented by the state government on 3 March 2022. State Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon will present the budget in the assembly.