Hubballi: Karnataka State Government Employees conducted a bike rally in Hubballi-Dharwad on Monday against the New Pension Scheme (NPS), which they claim is not in their best interests.
Members of the Karnataka Government NPS Employees Association urged that the NPS be phased down and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) be reinstated for all employees.
They took out a massive bike rally, “OPS Sankalpa Yatre,” from Kalabhavana, Dharwad. The rally was flagged off by MLC Basavaraj Horatti.
He demanded that OPS be reinstated for the employees appointed after January 2006.
MLC SV Sankanur visited KIMS and met agitating employees who extended support to the protest call of the NPS Employees Association. After receiving a memorandum from the employees, he said that governments have cheated the employees with false promises and the hope that NPS would fetch a better pension by investing in the market.
He quoted an example of a pensioner who gets a pension of Rs. 2500 per month in NPS as compared to Rs. 15,000 under OPS and demanded the early conversion of NPS to OPS. He expressed his belief in the present government that they would take this matter seriously and implement OPS.
Shantaram, President of the Karnataka State Employees Association, demanded the implementation of OPS and requested all the local and state associations to take leadership in this matter.
Dr. SS Shirol, past president of the KIMS Doctors Association, expressed his faith in the present government and expressed confidence that MLC Sankanur would solve the issue, as he has solved many major problems KIMS Hubballi was facing.
Dr. Suresh Huchhannavar, president of the KIMS Doctors Association, said the fight will be “do or die.”
Ashok Walmiki, president of the SC/ST Employees Association, KIMS Hubli, said all OPS employees also support the cause and would be part of the procession and protest.
Manjunath Naduvinamani, secretary of the KIMS SC/ST Employees Association, demanded that all should get the same pension as all are equal per the Indian Constitution. The procession proceeded to Siddharoodha Math and then to Koppal.
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