category Regional, dharmshala, , tags Regional, dharmshala, , DW BUREAU Dharmshala Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed a massive gathering during the Purani Pension Aabhar Rally held in Dharamshala. He announced that the present state government is providing the benefits of the old pension scheme to approximately 1.50 lakh employees. In addition to the employees of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited, the employees of the Corporations will also be included under the old pension scheme. However, the employees are required to cooperate with the state government to retrieve the NPS (National Pension System) funds currently held by the Union government. The Chief Minister urged employees to be prepared for the upcoming battle. The Chief Minister emphasized his understanding of the employees struggles, being the son of a government employee himself. He stated that the restoration of the old pension was prioritized in the first cabinet meeting after the formation of the new government, in order to preserve the employees self-respect. He acknowledged the immense contribution of the state s employees to its development and expressed the government s high appreciation for their efforts. Despite financial challenges, the Chief Minister assured that the state government is committed to providing the benefits of the old pension to its employees. He said that in a recent NITI Aayog meeting, he demanded the return of the NPS funds amounting to Rs. 9,242.60 crore. This matter will be taken up with the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the state government will fight for its rights with the cooperation of the employees. He said that when the Congress government took office on December 11, 2022, they were informed by officers that there was no money left to meet the state s expenses. Consequently, the government is operating with financial discipline and striving for self-reliance rather than relying on debt. The Chief Minister asserted that the government is working tirelessly to revitalize the state s economy and plans to accomplish this within the next four years. The first budget of the state government is a crucial step in this direction, focusing on increasing the state s economic resources. Initiatives such as the imposition of water cess and expedited construction of power projects are being undertaken by the government.The CM urged employees to accelerate the pace of the work as delayed projects have been detrimental to the progress of Himachal Pradesh. He expressed the government s commitment to cease purchasing power from other states within the next two years. (editor dailyworld.in)