Promise on Contributory Pension Scheme becomes a millstone around Jagan's neck
The YS Jagan Government in Andhra Pradesh is in a fix now. The reason? The government employees are angry and sore. They are angry that Jagan has not fulfilled a promise that he had made to them. They want the Jagan Government to bring back the Old Pension Scheme and replace the Contributory Pension scheme.
It may be recalled that Jagan had promised during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra that the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) would be scrapped and that the Old Pension Scheme would be brought back. But, though it has been two years since he had come to power in AP, there is no move on that count. The CPS is still continuing. The employees have taken up this issue with the government several times, but the government is largely silent on the issue.
Now angry government employees are preparing to hold protest meetings across the state. If sources are to be believed, the opposition TDP and several other parties are backing the employees and if reports are true, they are also providing the financial muscle. The CPS has been introduced in 2004 and as many as 1.94 lakh employees are part of this scheme. Despite giving a promise, the Jagan Government has not taken any concrete action on the issue.
Jagan is now finding himself in a quandary on this issue. He cannot afford to antagonise the government employees, who are the bulwark of the government and have a make-or-break role in conducting the elections. But CPS cannot be rolled back as it is a Central Government directive. Given his situation, he cannot antagonise the Modi government too.
It may be recalled that Jagan had promised during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra that the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) would be scrapped and that the Old Pension Scheme would be brought back. But, though it has been two years since he had come to power in AP, there is no move on that count. The CPS is still continuing. The employees have taken up this issue with the government several times, but the government is largely silent on the issue.
Now angry government employees are preparing to hold protest meetings across the state. If sources are to be believed, the opposition TDP and several other parties are backing the employees and if reports are true, they are also providing the financial muscle. The CPS has been introduced in 2004 and as many as 1.94 lakh employees are part of this scheme. Despite giving a promise, the Jagan Government has not taken any concrete action on the issue.
Jagan is now finding himself in a quandary on this issue. He cannot afford to antagonise the government employees, who are the bulwark of the government and have a make-or-break role in conducting the elections. But CPS cannot be rolled back as it is a Central Government directive. Given his situation, he cannot antagonise the Modi government too.