HOWEVER IAS/IPS/IFS ARE GOVERNED UNDER NPS WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JAN 2004 ITSELF — ADVOCATE
CHANDIGARH, 5 FEB: The issue for introduction of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for State Government Employees is also gaining momentum in Haryana on the lines of neighboring
States of Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh as well as alike States of Chattisgarh and Jharkhand wherein currently ruling non-BJP/non-NDA Governments ( read Cong, AAP & JMM) announced and notified the same in recent months. However, the legal and technical modalities for smooth implementation
of OPS are yet to be worked out by above States.
Amidst all this, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda has reportedly promised to introduce OPS for State Government employees if Cong party is voted to power in next State Assembly General Elections which are scheduled to be held in Oct, 2024/ However, on the other hand, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal has categorically deprecated the demand for restoration of OPS asserting that the same is fiscally unsustainable.
Meanwhile, Hemant Kumar, an Advocate at Punjab & Haryana High Court, on the basis of information received under RTI Act, 2005 from Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), which is the nodal statutory authority for implementation of NPS ( which initially meant New Pension Scheme but later on rechristened as National Pension Scheme) across the country, pertaining to the dates when NPS was notified
and implemented in respect of all States in the country, told that as far as State of Haryana is concerned, it was the Hooda led then Cong Government which issued Notification for NPS on 18 August 2008 i.e. three and half years after he became CM from 5 March, 2005. However, the significant point is that it was adopted/implemented with retrospective effect from 1 Jan 2006. Hence, in Haryana all State Government Employees who have joined on or after 1 Jan 2006 are covered under NPS. It must be recalled that at that point time Cong led UPA-1 dispensation was in power at the Centre.
However, as far as Central Government in concerned, NPS has been implemented for new recruits
in Central Government including in Union Territories (UTs) who have been appointed in Service on or after 1 Jan 2004.
Hemant further told that the NPS is also applicable for All India Service (AIS) officers viz. IAS, IPS and IFS (Indian Forest Service) who are borne on various State Cadres including the State of Haryana with effect from 1 Jan 2004 itself notwithstanding the fact that Haryana Government adopted NPS with effect from 1 Jan 2006.
However, those persons who have been promoted/selected to IAS/IPS/IFS from State Civil/Police/Forest Service and who were being governed by OPS before being promoted or selected as such in the concerned State Cadre would continue
to be governed by OPS and thus NPS is not applicable to them. Thus a Haryana Civil Service (HCS) officer who is recruited as such before 1 Jan 2006 would continue to be governed by OPS even after his promotion to IAS in Haryana Cadre.
Be that as it may, as far as State of Punjab is concerned, it was the Parkash Singh Badad led then SAD-BJP Government which issued Notification for NPS on 2 March 2004 and it was adopted with retrospective effect from 1 Jan 2004.
In case of Himachal Pradesh, it was Virbhadra Singh Cong Govt which issued Notification for NPS on 17
August 2006 and it was adopted with retrospective effect from 15 May 2003.Hemant told that as on date, West Bengal is the only State which has not notified and adopted NPS for its State Government Employees till date. However, All India Service
officers viz. IAS, IPS and IFS who are borne on State Cadre of West Bengal continue to be governed by NPS.