Haryana employees seek Old Pension Scheme, get water cannons, tear gas

The employee leaders have claimed that several protesters have suffered injuries during the police lathicharge.

Later, OSD to CM Bhupeshwar Dayal reached the spot and urged the employees to end their dharna. He also offered their meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after the conclusion of the Assembly session for the day on Monday.

Pension Bahali Sangharsh Samiti president Vijender Dhaliwal said they will go to meet the Chief Minister on Monday and would take a call about further course of action keeping in view the outcome of the meeting.

A group of the employees will sit on hunger strike till the proposed meeting with the CM doesn’t take place.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has condemned the lathicharge on the employees. Hooda said: “I have received information that water cannons, teargas and lathicharge were used on the employees. They want to run the government with sticks and bullets. The government can’t be run by using sticks and bullets. Whenever someone comes to the government, it should resolve their problems.”

The Congress leader also said: “We will implement the Old Pension Scheme in the very first meeting of the Cabinet, if Congress is voted to power in the 2024 Assembly polls.”

The Haryana government employees have been seeking restoration of the Old Pension Scheme ever since it was discontinued in 2007. They have intensified the demand ever since the Congress government in neighboring Rajasthan in 2022 announced restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. Later, the Aam Aadmi Party government of Punjab also promised implementation of the scheme after it was voted to power. It was a big issue during the Assembly elections of Himachal Pradesh where the Congress was voted to power. Soon after assuming power, the Congress government there announced its plan to restore the Old Pension Scheme.

The employees say when they give service to the department for over 30 years, they should be extended the pension facility to take care of their old age and family needs.

Khattar has been refusing to implement the Old Pension Scheme while citing financial constraints. While quoting a WhatsApp message from a Central government officer, he said that “the country would turn bankrupt by 2030 if the Old Pension Scheme is implemented”. Khattar had claimed “nobody can implement it without (the clearance of) Parliament” while underlining that it was Manmohan Singh, “an economist”, who as prime minister kicked off the New Pension Scheme.