JAMMU, Oct 14: The National Old Pension Restoration United Front (NOPRUF), Jammu and Kashmir, convened a high-level joint coordination meeting of employee representatives to chalk out a future strategy for the complete restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and address long-pending service-related issues affecting government employees.
The meeting was presided over by Rajesh Kumar Sharma, President, J&K NOPRUF, and attended by Mrignayani Slathia, President, All Teachers Association (ATA), J&K, and National Vice President, NOPRUF/JTFI; Dr. Rakesh Chib, President, Non-Teaching Employees Union, University of Jammu; and Sakoon Manir, General Secretary, J&K NOPRUF, besides representatives from various government departments.
At the outset, Slathia, Chib and Manir felicitated Sharma and employees who had transitioned from the New Pension Scheme (NPS) to the Old Pension Scheme following official notifications issued by the Union Territory administration and the University of Jammu. The participants described the development as an outcome of sustained organisational efforts while stressing the need to continue the campaign for employees who remain uncovered.
Addressing the gathering, Sharma reiterated NOPRUF’s commitment to raising the concerns of employees and protecting their service and retirement-related interests. He welcomed the relief provided through recent administrative orders but maintained that the movement would continue until OPS benefits were extended to all eligible employees seeking restoration of the old pension framework.
The participants discussed a comprehensive roadmap and future agitation strategy to intensify their campaign and press the authorities for further action.
Sharma also expressed solidarity with the teaching community and assured Slathia of organisational support on issues concerning the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and service regularisation. He said NOPRUF would extend active support whenever required to raise these concerns before the concerned authorities.
Dr. Rakesh Chib emphasised the importance of unity among employee organisations and called for coordinated efforts to resolve major grievances, including OPS restoration, TET-related service complications and long-pending anomalies associated with SRO-333.
Slathia appreciated the support extended by the employee leadership and highlighted emerging challenges faced by teachers in connection with TET guidelines and service conditions. She stressed the need for a united representation before the authorities to seek appropriate remedies.
Other participants included Amit Raina, Nand Kishore, Taresm Singh, Lalit Sharma, Naresh Sharma, Deepak Nargotra, Bushan Kumar, Arun Sharma, Repan Singh, Surjit Kumar, Viky Bhan and Sanjeev Mehra, among others.
The meeting concluded with a collective resolve to strengthen coordination among employee organisations and continue pursuing pension-related demands and other pressing service issues through a united platform.