Amalapuram – Andhra Pradesh: The Andhra Pradesh United Teachers Federation (UTF) has called for the immediate abolition of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) and the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), arguing that the current system benefits only corporate interests at the expense of government employees.
In a protest organized by the UTF at the Amalapuram Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) office on Friday, District President P Venkateswararao and other union leaders voiced their strong opposition to the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme by the Central Government, and submitted a memorandum to the RDO.
Chronology of pension scheme mplementation
The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was introduced for Central Government employees on January 1, 2004, and for State Government employees on September 1, 2004. Despite a Supreme Court judgment favoring the rights of employees, the CPS has continued to be implemented for the last 20 years, a move that many see as a disregard for the country’s highest judicial authority.
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) on August 22, 2024, allowing State Governments the option to implement it. This has drawn sharp criticism from employee unions across the country, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, where the UTF has been at the forefront of protests.
Leaders’ demands and criticism
District Chief Secretary MT Subbarao condemned the Central and State Governments for ignoring the Supreme Court verdict, stating, “It is unfair for the governments to implement a pension scheme that goes against the rights of employees, treating their rightful benefits as if they were alms from the government.”
P Venkateswararao emphasized the need for a pension system that genuinely supports employees, arguing that “the Unified Pension Scheme benefits only corporates and fails to provide the security that the Old Pension Scheme offered to teachers and other government employees.”
Protest at Amalapuram RDO Office
The protest at the Amalapuram RDO office saw participation from numerous UTF members, including District Secretary GV Ramana, K Srinivash, BN Venkateswararao Goud, K Paramesh, NV Ramana, Chikkam Haribabu, K Suresh Kumar, Allavaram Member K Satyanaryana and several other activists from surrounding regions Amalapuram Town, Rural, Uppalaguptam, Allavaram, and Ambajipet. The demonstrators made it clear that they would continue their fight until the Old Pension Scheme is reinstated.
The UTF’s call for action highlights the growing discontent among government employees regarding the pension reforms, and the union’s leadership has vowed to intensify their efforts until their demands are met.
