Will restore old pension scheme if Congress comes to power in MP, says Nath

Making light of the announcement, state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said Nath had a history of not fulfilling promises made to the people

The Congress will bring back the old pension scheme (OPS) if elected to power in Madhya Pradesh in Assembly polls scheduled for next year, state unit chief Kamal Nath said on Sunday.

The old pension scheme was replaced with a new mechanism by the Union government in 2004, and MP too opted for the latter at the time.

"The pension of government employees, which was stopped by the Shivraj (Singh Chouhan) government, will be restored as soon as the Congress government is formed in Madhya Pradesh," Nath tweeted in the morning.

Making light of the announcement, state Bharatiya Janata Party secretary Rajneesh Agrawal told PTI Nath had a history of not fulfilling promises made to the people.

"Kamal Nath is known for backtracking on promises made before elections as was evident in his 15-month rule in Madhya Pradesh. He changed after gaining power. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been doing several works for the welfare of employees and fulfilling all promises," he claimed.

Agrawal alleged Nath had stopped several welfare schemes started by the BJP government. Welcoming Nath's announcement, Parmanand Deharia, MP chapter president of National Movement of Old Pension Scheme said CM Chouhan must also make a similar announcement. "We thank the MP Congress president and also request the chief minister to make an announcement to restore the old pension for state government employees in the coming budget session (of the Assembly)," he told PTI.

He said his outfit had been holding protests over the matter, adding the BJP dispensation in the state had scrapped the OPS for all government employees with effect from January 1, 2005.