Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday slammed former Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh for terming the move to bring back the Old Pension Scheme as "absurd move" pointing out that serving employees have the right to feel secure too.
Gehlot's remarks came over Montek Singh Ahluwalia's remark that the move by certain opposition-ruled state governments to bring back the Old Pension Scheme was an "absurd idea" and a "recipe for financial bankruptcy".
"If the country can have OPS for 60 years and etire an employee with pension, can't a serving employee has the right to feel secure too?" Gehlot told reporters here.
At a book launch event on Friday Ahluwalia cautioned state governments that bringing back the Old Pension Scheme could be a regressive step and lead to financial insolvency. Ahluwalia said the move to bring back the old pension scheme may be an 'absurd idea' considering the economic challenges the country and the world are facing today.
This is not the first time Montek Ahluwalia has spoken against OPS. Sometime back, he had said that OPS is one of the biggest cess given by the state governments.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often spoken out against political parties developing and promoting a culture of free rein.
Under OPS, the pension of central and state government employees was fixed at 50 per cent of the last drawn basic pay, while under the new system of the New Pension Scheme, 10 per cent of the basic pay and dearness allowance will be contributed by the employee. The new regime has come into force for those employees who came into service in 2004.
Rajasthan had returned to the OPS from March 2022, retrospectively for employees.
Chief minister Gehlot has proposed for reviving the old pension scheme in other states and has also urged the central government to come forward to make the policy.
( With inputs from ANI )
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