Dimapur, Dec. 11 (EMN): A joint national convention was held demanding the Central government to annul the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Act, and scrap the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
The meeting was organised by the All India State Govt. Employee Federation (AISGEF) and Confederation of Central Govt. Employees and Workers (CCGEW) on December 8 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi.
The president of Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees' Association (CANSSEA), Moanungsang; Adabe Namgi (Treasurer) and Ato Lemanghu (Media and Coordinator Head) from Nagaland National Pension System Government Service Employees Forum (NNPSGSEF) attended the convention to represent the employees and teachers of the state, an update stated.
AISGEF and CCGEW, in their statements, said, “As part of implementing neo-liberal policies, the NDA government introduced the New Pension System in the Central Government Service in 2004”, adding that following the IMF-World Bank Policy on pension reforms, the government of India introduced the NPS.
“The IMF and World Bank in the wake of intensification of the neoliberal globalisation and considering privatised pension schemes, prescribed a total linkage of pension funds with the market economy which compelled the scheme to depend on profit and loss from share market, without government control or intervention.”
“In the recent times, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Punjab state governments have issued orders to roll back the old pension scheme.
“It is the bounden duty of Central/State Governments employees and teachers to fight against the disastrous NPS”, it said, adding that the PFRDA Act can be repealed through consistent efforts in the coming months.
Amongst the other demands of the Convention was also to “regularise all contractual employees.”
It said that nearly half of the sanctioned posts in many states were filled with contractual, outsourced or daily wage employees.
“The general attitude of the Union and most state governments towards the recruitment policy is the same. They are trying to shrink the government system as much as possible, which is the general approach and framework of neoliberal reforms,” read the statement.
It therefore urged to “rise unitedly to fight for the demands and to work tirelessly for the defeat of the neo-liberal, communal and authoritarian dictums.”