Andhra Pradesh Contributory Pension Scheme (APCPS) Employees Association State Executive Committee member Ganta Srinivasa Rao and the association’s Vizianagaram district president R. Siva Kumar on Sunday said that their lives would be plunged into misery post retirement in the absence of pension and other social security measures.
The association members staged a symbolic protest by tonsuring their heads and begging for alms in Vizianagaram to step up pressure on the government to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) which was in force till 2003.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the employees would not draw even a pension of ₹3,000 a month after retirement under CPS. He said that many judges, doctors and teachers were getting meagre pension after retirement.
“Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, before coming to power, had promised to restore the old pension scheme. Unfortunately, the Chief Minister has forgotten his assurance. We do not want the government’s proposed Guaranteed Pension Scheme as it is not at all satisfactory,” he added.
Mr. Siva Kumar said that 1.92 lakh employees under CPS were eagerly waiting for a positive statement from the government. He said that political parties should implement their assurances made to the public prior to elections.
APCPSEA Vizianagaram general secretary K. Dhanunjay said that necessary changes should be made to the Constitution to ensure that political parties are forced to implement their poll promises at any cost. He said that the association’s State body would hold a meeting soon to chalk out an action plan.
