Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said the state government is committed to implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees and that a decision on the matter would be announced soon.
Parameshwara made the statement at a Teachers’ Day programme in Tumakuru on Saturday, according to a report by Prajavani. He said he had discussed the issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and that an order would be issued shortly.
“The state government is committed to implementing the Old Pension Scheme, a long-standing demand of government employees,” Parameshwara said. He added that restoring OPS would benefit teachers and other government workers by replacing the existing pension arrangement.
The deputy chief minister said teachers’ associations had raised the demand during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election campaign. According to him, representatives of the teachers’ associations had met the Congress leadership and requested implementation of the scheme. The demand was subsequently included in the party’s election manifesto, he said.
Parameshwara attributed the delay of nearly three years to unspecified reasons but said the government had now decided to move ahead. He also said the decision was being taken despite the state facing financial constraints.
The statement signals the government’s intention to move towards a policy change, but the report does not provide details of the proposed order, its effective date, the categories of employees covered or the financial implications for the state. It also does not indicate whether the Chief Minister or the state Cabinet has formally approved the measure.
The next step, according to Parameshwara, is the issuance of a government order after a decision is finalised. Until that order is released, the implementation status of the Old Pension Scheme remains subject to the government’s formal notification.
