Rail Workers Demand Restoration of Old Pension Scheme - Protest Led by Abdul Khalik

Kota,  In response to the call of the Railway Workers' Union Mandal Secretary Abdul Khalik, a protest was organized today by railway employees across various locations, demanding the reinstatement of the old pension scheme.

Under the leadership of Abdul Khalik, the NFIR (National Federation of Indian Railwaymen) and the Western Central Railway Workers' Union held demonstrations across the Kota region. As part of this series, railway employees at Kota station and Bajaria protested against discontinuing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and introducing the New Pension Scheme (NPS).

Abdul Khalik, Mandal Secretary of the Western Central Railway Workers' Union, Kota, stated that during the massive protest held in New Delhi on August 10, 2023, it was decided to continue the movement by organizing gate meetings, rallies, sit-ins, demonstrations, seminars, and other events on August 21, 2023. In line with this decision, railway employees at various locations, including Kota headquarters, Shamgarh, Sawai Madhopur, and Gangapur City, reiterated their demand for the restoration of the old pension scheme.

Notably, the railway employees who joined the service after January 1, 2004, are placed under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) purview, affecting their social security benefits. This has led to substantial discontent among young railway workers and those who joined the railway service after January 1, 2004.

The protest in Kota saw the participation of key central executive committee members, including Ramcharan Meena, P.C. Meena, Abdul Hanif, Puran Meena, Vipin Bihari Sharma, Abhilasha Chauhan, Vimal Mittal, Chetram Ghodela, Vishal Verma, K.K. Gautam, Mujahat Ali Khan, Rajkumar Gauchar, O.P. Saini, Dhruv Ranjan Sharma, Ashok Saini, Mahmood Ali, Yogesh, and many other activists and officials.