1,00,937 personnel benefiting from the National Pension System (NPS) in Uttarakhand will now be able to avail the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). With the implementation of UPS, an additional burden of Rs 492 crore will be imposed on the treasury. The option of UPS is voluntary. In this scheme, the departments will have to sweat to get the option from the personnel. Detailed instructions will be issued to the departments in this regard by the government. Before the Panchayat elections, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government has played a master stroke to woo the large employee class that plays an important role in forming public opinion. However, the employee organizations are gearing up to demand the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The main opposition party in the state, Congress, is making OPS an issue. Amidst all this, the state government has made its intentions clear to a large extent by deciding to implement UPS with a similar format to OPS. After the politics over OPS heated up in various states, the BJP-led government at the Center presented the option of UPS last year. The blueprint of UPS was prepared by combining NPS and OPS. The central government has issued its notification.
There is parity with the Center in salary-allowances-pension
On the basis of the consensus reached with the employee organizations in the state, parity has been kept with the Center in the matter of salary, allowances and pension of government personnel. In this sequence, NPS was also implemented in the state. The government has given the option to its employees to join UPS from the beginning of the new financial year 2025-26 i.e. April 1. Employees are free to decide whether they want to remain in the already implemented NPS or adopt UPS. The government is not going to impose it.
Government’s contribution in UPS is 18.5 percent
Like NPS, 10 percent will be deducted from the salary of the employees opting for UPS. The government’s contribution in NPS is 14 percent, while in UPS it has been increased to 18.5 percent. On taking the new option, employees will be eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 after 10 years of service. This amount is Rs 9,000 in NPS. On completing 25 years of service, 50 percent of the total salary in UPS will be given as pension. The benefit of dearness allowance will also be given from time to time. The family will also be able to get 60 percent of the pension as family pension.
97019 personnel taking advantage of OPS
After the implementation of UPS, the burden on the state government will increase by an additional Rs 41 crore per month compared to the amount currently being spent on NPS. At present, 1,00,937 employees are associated with NPS, while the number of personnel taking advantage of the old pension scheme is 97,019.
