The Newz Radar
SHIMLA: In Himachal Pradesh, the deadline for government employees to choose between the New Pension System (NPS) and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) ended on Monday (July 3, 2023).
While 1.18 lakh employees have chosen to be part of the traditional OPS, 346 still want to be with NPS. The two-month deadline for exercising the option to implement the old pension scheme was provided by the government, starting from the issuance of the notification on May 4.
According to a senior official from the finance department, only a small number of employees, specifically 346, have decided to remain in the NPS.
While the implementation of the OPS has progressed, the process of opening General Provident Fund (GPF) accounts for employees has been relatively slow. Currently, only around 5,000 accounts have been opened. However, the Finance Department has said that this would not hinder the provision of the OPS to the eligible employees.
The restoration of OPS was a key pre-poll promise of the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. Its implementation was approved during the first cabinet meeting, and subsequent formalities related to its execution are now being finalised. With the majority of employees opting for the OPS, the government aims to ensure the successful rollout of the scheme to fulfill its commitment to the welfare of government employees.
