. Contributory
Pension Scheme (called as New Pension Scheme - NPS) was introduced through an
executive order with effect from 01-01-2004 for all Central Government
employees who joined service on or after 01-01-2004. Subsequently
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act (PFRDA) was enacted to
make it statutory. As per the NPS 10% Pay plus DA will be recovered
from the employee each month and an equal amount will be contributed by
Government. The amount goes to the Pension Fund and from there to
share market. As per the PFRDA Act - “There shall not be any
implicit or explicit assurance of benefit except market based guarantee
mechanism to be purchased by the subscribers”. Thus it can be seen
that the contribution in the Pension Fund is fully dependent on the vagaries of
share market. There is no guarantee whether pension will be received
at the age of 60 years and even if received what will be the amount of
pension. Now, many employees who entered service on or after 01-01-2004
has started retiring from service after completing 12 to 13 years
service. They receive a megre amount of 900 to 1700 as monthly
pension, whereas as per the old pension scheme an employee with minimum 10
years service is eligible for 50% of last pay drawn as monthly pension, subject
to a minimum of Rs.9,000/- per month, that too without giving any contribution
to the pension fund. With meager amount of Rs.900 to 1700 how a
pensioner and his family can survive?
It
is this bitter reality that compels the employees to demand scraping of NPS and
restoration of the old Pension Scheme for all those employees who entered
service on or after 01-01-2004.
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