PMK demands implementation of old pension scheme in TN

CHENNAI: PMK founder leader Dr. S. Ramadoss has called upon the Tamil Nadu government to reimplement the old pension scheme in the state as promised by the ruling DMK in its election manifesto.

In a statement on Monday, the senior leader said that the contention of the Tamil Nadu Finance Minister, that reimplementing the old pension scheme was not possible is a classic example of 'dereliction' of duties on his part.

He called upon the Tamil Nadu government to immediately implement the old pension scheme like Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, and West Bengal.

The PMK leader said that the new pension scheme was not implemented in the Armed forces and Indian judiciary as it was not socially protective like the old scheme. Ramadoss said, "The scheme that has been rejected by the Armed forces and Indian judiciary must not be implemented for the government employees of the state."

He said that the Tamil Nadu finance minister's theory that legal wrangles exist in transferring the funds deposited with the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and that reimplementing the scheme would bring financial burden to the state does not hold water.

The PMK founder leader said that the legal wrangles that the Tamil Nadu finance minister was talking about could be resolved by talking to the Central government and said that the minister should make efforts to solve this and not shy away from his responsibilities as a state minister.