Mizoram govt employees demand reintroduction of Old Pension Scheme

A section of Mizoram government employees and New Pension Scheme (NPS) beneficiaries on Wednesday staged a protest in Aizawl, pressing for the restoration of the old pension scheme. 

The demonstration, held in front of Vanapa Hall, was organised under the banner of the Mizoram Movement for Old Pension Scheme (MIMOPS).

Addressing the gathering, MIMOPS vice president V. L. Chhakchhuak said the state government holds discretionary power to decide on the implementation of NPS. He pointed out that the NPS, introduced by the Centre for its employees on January 1, 2004, was adopted by Mizoram on September 1, 2010, though states were not compelled to implement it.

Chhakchhuak said MIMOPS was formed in November 2022 after it became clear that NPS was “not good” for employees’ financial security. He also noted that several states, including Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka, and Sikkim, have already reverted to the old pension scheme after initially adopting NPS.

The protesting employees urged the state government to follow suit, stressing that reverting to the old system would ensure a secure post-retirement life for government staff.