More than 500 employees of different departments of state government on Sunday took out a massive rally and organised a meeting in Dhanbad as part of their phase wise agitation to demand the restoration of the old pension scheme which is more beneficial for pensioners.

The protesters who gathered at HE School ground of Dhanbad under the banner of district unit of National Movement For Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS) claimed that the state chief minister Hemant Soren during his election manifesto in 2019, included the restoration of old pension scheme which has been scrapped by the Central government with effect from January 1, 2004.

Talking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting at HE School, Ujjwal Tiwari, senior vice president of state unit of NMOPS said, “The chief minister Hemant Soren while campaigning for the state assembly elections in 2019 made vociferous claims that he will bring back the old pension scheme as soon as he will get power but he is yet to fulfill to his promise.”

“While several other states of the country have already started the process of restoration of the old pension scheme, the Jharkhand government is yet to initiate a process in this regard so far despite making promises” said Tiwari.

Echoing sentiments Jai Guru , state secretary of NMOPS, “The present chief minister during the election campaign in 2019 claimed that if he comes to power he will implement the Old Pension Scheme immediately by taking up the issue in the first cabinet meeting”

After the central government abolished the old pension scheme in 2004, majority of state governments also abolished the same but gradually some of states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh have announced the restoration of the old pension scheme and we demand the Jharkhand government to follow suit,” said Guru.