Punjab bypolls: Govt employees launch poster campaign questioning AAP over OPS implementation

Employees recruited from January 1, 2004 come under the NPS. They have been sending a clear message to all political parties that their vote will go to those who support restoration of OPS, said Jarnail Singh Patti, general secretary of PPBSC.

Talwara added, “In each bypoll-bound constituency, there are not less than 3,000 government employees who are covered under the NPS. We have also appealed to their family members, friends and relatives to be part of this campaign. Hence the AAP can’t take us lightly.”

“During the recently held Lok Sabha elections, government employees in Punjab exercised their franchise and the AAP government, which claimed it would win 13 seats, was reduced to just three. Two years ago, in November 2022, the Bhagwant Mann government issued a notification regarding the restoration of the old pension, which has turned out to be nothing more than a hollow promise.”

Patti added, “Previous governments and political parties have often broken verbal promises, but the Bhagwant Mann government has become the first in Punjab’s history to fail to implement its own written promise. The employees have protested through various rallies, yet the government has consistently ignored their demands.” Every time there is a rally, meetings are promised, but ministers attend these meetings unprepared, leading to repeated embarrassments to the government, he pointed out.

“State governments have their own authority. Every state determines its employees’ salaries, allowances, and pensions. However, this is the first government in Punjab to be so weak that it cannot even implement its own decision. Instead, it is proposing the implementation of the central government’s newly proposed Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) after replacing NPS, indicating that it is surrendering to the central government rather than sticking to its own decisions,” said Talwara.

PPBSC members also expressed disappointment with the Modi government on the issue of restoring the old pension, highlighting that while crores in bank loans have been written off for corporate entities with a mere announcement, the government fails to support its employees.

Bypolls are scheduled to be held in four constituencies in Punjab – Gidderbaha, Barnala, Chabbewal and Dera Baba Nanak –on November 20. All four seats were vacated after sitting MLAs from these constituencies won elections to the Lok Sabha. The results will be declared on November 23.