Government employees have been protesting for a long time to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme. When the New Pension Scheme was introduced by the government in 2004, it was promoted as being better and more beneficial than the old one. An employee requires financial security after retirement, whether it comes from the Old Pension Scheme or the New Pension Scheme. Therefore, at that time, government employees did not oppose it and trusted the government’s decision in silence. However, after a few years, the truth of the New Pension Scheme gradually began to unfold. This scheme is not able to fulfill even the basic needs of employees post-retirement. As a result, government employees are now protesting to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme. However, the government is not ready to implement the Old Pension Scheme again.
Economic experts in the government consider the old pension to be financially detrimental to the government. Firstly, the government is neither a shop nor a commercial enterprise that determines its employees’ rights based on financial profit and loss. The government’s purpose is to provide its employees with a dignified life, especially when they have dedicated their entire working lives to serving the nation. The pension system should not be viewed solely as a financial benefit but as a symbol of the government’s welfare role. Pension arrangements for government employees hold a significant place in any nation’s policy. Providing financial security to its employees is an essential responsibility of the government.
On one hand, economic experts cry about financial constraints in providing pensions to government employees, while on the other hand, they boast about us becoming an economic superpower. Can a country truly advance on the path to becoming an economic superpower by depriving its employees of their basic rights? When the country was economically weak, pensions were provided to everyone. Now, as we claim to be on the path to becoming an economic power, we are unable to provide pensions. How contradictory is that? What kind of economic power are we becoming, where we withdraw from the right of pensions for our employees?
Several developing and economically weaker countries than ours still have a government pension system in place. Countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia provide pensions. Despite having weaker economic conditions, these nations are committed to ensuring the future security of their employees. This clearly shows that providing pensions does not solely depend on economic conditions; rather, it is a symbol of the government’s sensitivity and responsibility towards its employees.
Another contradiction can be seen in the government’s policies. On one hand, it distributes old-age pensions as a show of welfare, while on the other hand, it deprives government employees of pensions. This decision of the government is against the spirit of public welfare. At the age of 60, when an employee’s body and mind are both exhausted, the monthly pension they receive becomes a source of trust and support. It is the reward for the service they have provided to the government and society. Teachers, police officers, doctors, and other government employees dedicate their lives to nation-building, and their dignity and security in old age should be the government’s responsibility.
Conclusion — When a government employee has given their entire life in service, they have the right to a stable and secure life after retirement. If the government deprives them of facilities like a pension, it not only hurts their self-respect but also pushes them towards financial insecurity in old age.
The government pension system is not merely an economic benefit but a right of the employee. It is a means for the government to express gratitude for their service. The economic strength of any nation should not mean compromising on the rights of its employees. It is the responsibility of a welfare-oriented government to keep its employees financially secure in their old age.
This is the right time for the government to understand the importance of the pension system and to provide its employees with a permanent and secure scheme like the Old Pension Scheme, in line with the spirit of public welfare.