The Aryavarth Express
NEW DELHI: Government employees on Saturday hailed the decision to provide assured pensions to them and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meeting with them on the issue.
Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary of the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM), a joint form of government employees’ organisations, said they were invited by the prime minister for the meeting.
“This was the first time that JCM was invited by the PM. It was a very good meeting. It was a very proud moment for 32 lakh government employees,” he told reporters here.
After the meeting, the prime minister posted on X: “I met a delegation of staff from the Joint Consultative Machinery for Central Government employees. They expressed joy at the Cabinet’s decision regarding the Unified Pension Scheme.”
Mishra’s remarks came after the Union Cabinet approved an assured 50 percent of salary as pension for 23 lakh government employees who joined service under the National Pension System (NPS).
“It was a very courteous meeting with the prime minister. He talked about the assured pension scheme for those employees who joined the service after 2004. So far, their pension has been dependent on the stock market and market speculations,” he added.
Mishra said that from now on, employees will get half of their last salary on retirement, besides DA benefits.
“We were told that the family pension will be 60 percent plus the DA. There has been talk of a minimum pension of Rs 10,000,” he said.
Mishra said the prime minister has taken cognisance of the employees’ agitation and called them for discussions.
“He has also assured that the government will bring welfare schemes in the future too,” the JCM secretary said.
The National Pension System is applicable for government employees joining service after April 1, 2004. It was based on the premise of contribution rather than the defined benefit applicable to employees prior to the NPS.
“We are proud of the hard work of all government employees who contribute significantly to national progress. The Unified Pension Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for government employees, aligning with our commitment to their well-being and a secure future,” Modi said in a post on X.
Announcing Cabinet decisions, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), government employees will now be eligible to get 50 percent of the average basic pay drawn over the last 12 months as pension.
For this full pension, or 50 percent of pay as the pension, he said, the eligibility service length will be 25 years.
However, he said, it would be proportionate for a shorter service period up to a minimum of 10 years of service. NPS subscribers can now opt for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), which offers an assured pension applicable from the beginning of the next financial year.