New Delhi: The old pension scheme is “very much” on the Congress’s mind and the party will come out with its position once the report of a government-appointed committee to review the new pension scheme is received, senior leader P Chidambaram said on Friday.
In various state Assembly polls, the Congress had promised a return to the old pension scheme and had also done so in states such as Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
On being reminded that the Congress had implemented the old pension scheme in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but the issue did not find a mention in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Chidambaram, who is the party’s manifesto drafting committee chief, said, “It is not missing as such, it is very much on our mind, but please remember the developments that have taken place in the last four months.”
“The government has appointed a committee headed by the finance secretary to review the NPS, the demand for the OPS and find a way in which the objectives of the OPS can be financed by a funded pension scheme, which means the government has come around to the point of view that while the OPS delivered benefits to the pensioners, the NPS made it sustainable. Now, a committee has been appointed under the finance secretary and lest we receive the report of that committee and review it, it would be premature to take a stand on the OPS and NPS controversy,” he said.
“It is very much on our mind and we will come out with our position once the committee’s report is received,” the former finance minister added.
The manifesto, focusing on five “pillars of justice” and 25 guarantees under those, was released at the AICC headquarters on Friday in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held in seven phases starting April 19 and the counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.
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