Old Pension Scheme movement gains steam; first protest march in Rohtak

The movement for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) has regained momentum in Haryana, with the Pension Bahali Sangharsh Samiti announcing a statewide campaign to demand the reinstatement of the scheme.

As part of the campaign, the committee has planned ‘OPS Sankalp March’ in every district to mobilise government employees and strengthen the demand for restoration of the OPS. The campaign was launched from Rohtak on Sunday, marking the beginning of a series of district-level programmes.

“We will take out protest marches every Sunday at one of the district headquarters to highlight our long-pending demand for the restoration of the OPS. Local employees will participate in these marches, and state-level office-bearers of the association will also join them. The campaign will culminate with a state-level Sankalp March in Kurukshetra on February 7, 2027, during which the local residence of CM Nayab Singh Saini will be gheraoed,” said Sanjay Singhmar, general secretary of the samiti.

He said the objective of the campaign was to unite employees from different departments and create pressure on the government to bring back the OPS.

Earlier, the protesters took out a march to the Mini Secretariat, where they submitted a memorandum addressed to the government to the tehsildar.

Addressing the protesters, Anil Swami, district president of the samiti, called for an all-out struggle for the restoration of the OPS, stating that they would not withdraw the agitation until their demand was accepted.

Vijender Dhariwal, state president of the samiti, urged the CM to initiate talks with the samiti at the earliest because the demand was directly linked to the future of employees. “The OPS was not merely a financial issue for employees but also connected with the social security of their families and a dignified future after retirement,” he added.

State general secretary Rishi Nain claimed that the existing National Pension System (NPS) and Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) did not provide employees with the assured social security benefits that were available under the old scheme.

“The OPS provides employees with the assurance of a defined pension, whereas the pension under the NPS and UPS remains uncertain as these are market-linked systems,” he claimed.