NGOs protest against CPS

Eluru: NGOs staged a dharna at Mandal Tahsildar Office here on Tuesday, demanding that the government cancel the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) immediately.

The NGOs, led by Pension Sadhana Samiti, reached the Mandal Tahsildar office and started a dharna under the supervision of Samiti convener, R Harinath.

The Godavari districts Teachers’ Constituency MLC, Ramu Surya Rao, addressing the dharna, said that he would raise the issue in the Legislative Council. He demanded that the Government continue the earlier system of pension scheme replacing the newly introduced CPS.

Harinath said that pension was the right of the employees and not alms. “After serving over 30 to 40 years, the employee gets pension, which is his life’s security post retirement,” he pointed out.  He said that the Government has been continuing the CPS system for the employees and teachers while the MPs MLAs, MLCs, old age people and pensioners got pension facilities.

APNGO District Secretary Chodagiri Srinivasa Rao said that the Samiti would fight until the Government scraps the CPS system.

UTF State committee President Sheikh Sabji, CPS employees Association President Veeravalli Venkateswara Rao and others addressed the dharna.