NITI Aayog meet: Sukhvinder Sukhu asks Centre to refund 9,242.60 cr in NPS; wants 100% funding for rail line

“Restoring OPS was one of the 10 guarantees given by Congress in the elections,” Sukhu had then said.

State’s revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi had said that the OPS will be fully implemented and the contribution of the NPS will stop being deducted. “The new thing is that Himachal has made its own model to restore the old pension,” Negi had said, adding that while all employees appointed after 2003 have been brought under the ambit of the OPS, they will be given the option to choose between the OPS and NPS – making it a flexible scheme.

Prior to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh governments – both Congress-ruled states – and Punjab had restored the OPS for its employees even as the Centre had made it clear in the Parliament that contributions made towards NPS by the employees or state governments can’t be returned to the state.

Meanwhile, Sukhu also called for removing the limit of receiving external aid for the next three years in the state and sought the intervention of the Centre for speedy approval of proposals submitted to the Department of Economic Affairs, according to a statement issued by the state government.

He asked the Centre for 100 per cent central funding for the strategic Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Leh railway line and considering the land acquisition cost as state’s contribution.

During the meeting, the Himachal CM also requested for including ropeway projects under ‘Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna’, besides demanding special financial assistance for completing the construction of medical colleges in the state.

He asked the central government for providing the option of CAPEX (capital expenditure) model along with OPEX (operational expenditure) model under the financial assistance provided by the Centre for purchasing e-buses.

Apprising about the vision and initiatives of the state government, the chief minister said that his government was keen on developing Himachal Pradesh as the “Green Energy State” and added that tourism development was being undertaken under the concept of “Green Himachal” in order to protect and preserve the environment, the statement said.

Sukhu sought the support of the Centre and NITI Aayog for fulfilling the dream of the government for making Himachal Pradesh the most developed and prosperous state of the country.