Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Oct 4: A blood donation camp was organised by NPS employees on Wednesday, October 3, demanding the implementation of old pension scheme.
The blood donation camp, with a slogan ‘Rakta Kottevu, Pinchani Bidevu’ (we will give blood, but not give up our pension), was organised to protest against the new pension scheme that was implemented from April 2006, by Karnataka State Government NPS Employees’ Association, in collaboration with Udupi unit and taluk unit, district hospital and blood bank Ajjarkad.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Kota Srinivas Poojary inaugurated the blood donation camp.
Addressing the gathering he said, “This is a unique protest. Pension gives security for retirement life. But now, pension rules have been changed. People do not have hope of getting proper amount to spend retired life under the new pension scheme. There are two lac NPS government employees in the state. In West Bengal and Tripura, old pension scheme has been adopted. This has not happened in Karnataka. The government is supposed to re-adjust and provide pension amount or keep reserve funds for this.
“NPS employees are demanding for implementation of uniform policy. In the past days, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and Chief Minister Kumaraswamy promised in public meetings that they will bring back fixed pension scheme policy. Today I am remembering the CM’s words. Now they have all power in their hands. Let the government provide security for government employees’ retired life. People have thought that ‘Andolana’ means violence. But this is unique and appreciable. My party will always support NPS employees,” he said.
Ravi Kumar delivering the keynote address said, “There are 175 NPS centres at taluk level in the state. There are two lac NPS employees working and we are not competing with other unions. We are fighting to get our rights.”
V J Shetty, district Lions governor, Shashidhara, district president, Lions Parkala, Ravi Kumar, taluk president, Raghav Shetty, president, Udupi district NPS union, Ravi S Poojary, district convener, Prashanth Shetty Havanje were present.
Ramachandra Vakuda, district general secretary, compered the programme.