CHANDIGARH: All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has written a letter to Prime Ministers and state chief ministers including Punjab and Haryana to provide old pension schemes to power sector engineers across the country.
Shailendra Dubey Chairman AIPEF writes that the old pension scheme for the employees working in the power sector in various states and union territories was suddenly abolished unilaterally after the corporatisation of the state electricity boards . It may be added that there is no mention in the Electricity Act 2003 or transfer scheme that the old pension will not be given to the employees recruited after the corporatisation. Unfortunately today there is no uniform policy for the employees in the power sector in different states.
When the central government employees working under NPS will be provided dignified economic security on retirement, then for the employees working in the power sector, meaningful steps should also be taken to provide dignified financial security on their retirement.
AIPEF has requested the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers for the power sector employees working in various provinces and union territories a decision should be taken for restoration of old pensions for them.
There are many discrepancies in the announced Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) as compared to the Old Pension Scheme( OPS). For uniformity in the power sector the central Government may kindly give instructions to the states for restoration of the old pension scheme for Power Sector employees and engineers working in different power utilities of states and union territories.