Nirmala Sitharaman: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while talking to the media, in response to questions related to the restoration of the old pension system, said that the governments of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are asking the Center to return the money, it cannot be done under the law.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the money deposited in the National Pension Scheme (NPS) belongs to the persons contributing to it. State governments cannot take it under the law. Speaking to the media, Sitharaman said in response to questions related to the restoration of the old pension system, that the governments of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are asking the Center to return the money, it cannot be done under the law.
The Center cannot keep the money of the employees, the Chief Ministers of both the states have asked the Center to return the money deposited under NPS to start the old pension system. Both the Congress-ruled states have notified to re-implement the old pension system (OPS) for government employees. They say that the center cannot keep the money of the employees. The Congress has promised to revive the system in Himachal Pradesh as well, and it has become a major election issue in the state assembly elections.
Elections are to be held in Himachal Pradesh on November 12. There are 1.75 lakh government employees in the state. Elections in Himachal Pradesh are to be held on November 12. Sitharaman told reporters in Shimla, “Under the law, the money deposited in the central head under NPS cannot go to the states. It will go to only those employees who are contributing to it. Can we change the law? This is the employees’ money deposited with the Centre. This money will go only to the beneficiary employees and not to any one authority or entity.
Center is not returning the money of the employees: Bhupesh Baghel said, ‘I am not talking about politics here. I am only talking about the law. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said that the Center has refused to return Rs 17,000 crore to the state government employees registered under NPS. He said that the Center cannot keep the money for long and the state government has sought legal opinion in this regard and can go to court.
