Unified Pension Scheme: The political motive behind Modi govt's new big move
BJP) is targeting political gains from government employees by offering a Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) that includes a 50% salary as pension and inflation adjustment, countering the Congress's promise of a return to the unfunded Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a ToI report said on August 25. This move comes ahead of key assembly polls in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. Recently, some government employees were influenced by Congress's OPS promise, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, said the report (by Akhilesh Singh).
Government cadres have traditionally been a solid vote bank for the BJP, especially in Delhi, where elections are imminent in February. However, the demand for restoring OPS was leveraged by Congress in recent state elections to challenge the BJP. This tactic appeared effective in Himachal Pradesh, a state where government employees have significant influence. Despite this, BJP managed to win both Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh without much damage from the OPS issue.
The dissatisfaction among some government employees was noticeable during the Lok Sabha polls, although it was less pronounced than in state elections. Observers suggested that this discontent could be influential in upcoming election battles.
Centre approves Unified Pension Scheme: Key details
The decision to implement the UPS took nearly 18 months to finalize and was strategically announced before the assembly elections. The BJP plans to counteract Congress's OPS narrative by presenting the UPS as a
