Will Fulfill 10 Guarantees Pledged Before Polls, Restore Old Pension Scheme: Himachal CM Sukhu

After taking the oath of office as Chief Minister of Himachal, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu stated that his government will fulfil the ten promises made to the people of the state.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, the newly-appointed chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, said on Sunday that his government would meet the 10 guarantees the party made for the poll-bound state and would implement the old pension scheme (OPS) in the state.

"We've given 10 guarantees and we will implement them. We will give transparent and honest govt. We will implement OPS (Old Pension Scheme) in the first cabinet meeting," news agency ANI quoted him as saying. 

To entice state votes ahead of the assembly elections, the Congress party issued ten guarantees for Himachal Pradesh citizens.

One of the ten guarantees promised by the party was the restoration of the old pension scheme. Apart from that, domestic consumers would receive 300 units of free power per month, while women over the age of 18 will receive Rs 1,500 per month. Every village will receive free treatment at their doorstep thanks to mobile clinics. Among the pledges made by the party was the establishment of four English medium schools in each assembly constituency.

Employees in the OPS receive 50 percent of their last drawn basic pay + dearness allowance or their average wages in the previous ten months of employment, whichever is greater. The employee must complete a ten-year service requirement. In the new pension scheme (NPS), government employees contribute 10% of their primary income to NPS, while their employers contribute up to 14%. Employees in the private sector can also participate in the NPS freely, albeit some rules have changed.

Former Congress head Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took the oath of office as Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh earlier today. Mukesh Agnihotri, the opposition leader in the outgoing Assembly, was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. Sukhu extended his appreciation to the Congress and the Gandhi family, saying he is grateful for this opportunity.

Sukhu, a four-term MLA, is a former chairman of Congress in the state and a member of the NSUI and Youth Congress. From 2013 until 2019, he was the party's state unit president.