Election preparation: Now BJP ruled states also started thinking about old pension scheme

Recently, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had gone to Rajasthan saying that if you want to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), then do it on your own. The central government is not going to give even a single penny deposited with him under NPS to the state. He said that only the employees have the right on the money of NPS. That money will be given to the employees only, it cannot be given to the states.

Overall, the Finance Minister appeared completely against the OPS. Due to this stand of the Centre, no BJP-led state has so far announced the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme. But now some BJP-led states are also being forced to change their stand. The election thing itself is such that the good ones are forced to change their stand.

On December 8, employees from across the country will stage a sit-in protest in Delhi demanding implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) across the country.

Karnataka state elections are going to be held in the coming May-2023. The government there has constituted a committee which will study, observe and submit its report to the government within two months about the implementation of Old Pension Scheme in five states including Rajasthan. Though it is a matter of policy and only the Karnataka government will take a final decision on it, but fearing elections, the state government will definitely pressurize the Center to implement this scheme.

Everyone knows that BJP has lost Himachal because of the pension scheme. The Congress promised to implement the old pension scheme in the elections there and on the basis of that it got power there. The BJP government of Karnataka does not want to spoil the election like Himachal, so it is thinking seriously about implementing OPS.

If this scheme is implemented in Karnataka, then Madhya Pradesh may also want to follow the same path in the future. Because after all elections are going to be held in Madhya Pradesh in next November as well. If Karnataka goes in favor of OPS, then Madhya Pradesh will also not want to take any risk in this matter before elections. Although elections are to be held in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh along with Madhya Pradesh, but at present both these states are ruled by the Congress, so it is understood that there will be no problem in the implementation of OPS there.

However, the Ashok Gehlot government has implemented the old pension scheme in Rajasthan. There are bound to be some difficulties. For example, till now no mechanism has been made to bring the money deposited in NPS to the state fund, due to which the retired employees are facing many problems. But since the Rajasthan government is adamant on implementing the OPS, it seems likely that it will be fully implemented.

This is the reason why the Karnataka government committee is going on a Rajasthan tour on March 25 to understand the whole matter by meeting the Chief Secretary, Finance Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister there.