KOHIMA, July 9: The Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees Association (CANSSEA), in solidarity with All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF), observed a one-day national strike here on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference to voice concerns over employee welfare and pension reforms, CANSSEA general secretary Yhunsenlo Kent outlined a five-point charter of demands submitted to the Governor of Nagaland through the Chief Secretary.
The protest in Nagaland is part of a nationwide agitation coordinated by AISGEF demanding a rollback of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), along with 11 national-level demands. In the Nagaland context, government employees submitted five specific demands, Kent said.
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Demanding repeal of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Act and the scrapping of the NPS, Kent said employees want the state to abolish the market-linked pension system and bring all employees under the defined-benefit OPS. Fund managers should return deposited amounts to the state government, and all subscribers should be covered under EPS-95, he added.
Calling for the constitution of a State Pay Commission, Kent said it should be set up immediately to align with the 8th Central Pay Commission and ensure pay revisions every five years instead of 10.
While lauding the implementation of the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) for enabling cashless treatment to regular, pensioned, and contractual employees, CANSSEA officials urged the government to upgrade the infrastructure of empanelled hospitals under the scheme to improve accessibility and quality of healthcare in Nagaland.
They also demanded full implementation of eligibility norms for induction to higher cadres, including IAS, as per the March 10, 2025, Vacancy Circular, citing irregularities in senior-level appointments.
President of the Nagaland NPS Forum, Avizo Nienu, highlighted disparities between OPS and NPS.
“Under OPS, employees receive 50 per cent of their last drawn salary as pension without contributing. But NPS employees, despite contributing 10 per cent of their monthly salary, face an uncertain future with no guaranteed pension,” he said.
Citing data from the Treasury and Accounts Department, he revealed that over Rs 200 crore remains unaccounted for in NPS accounts of state employees.
“More than 1,000 NPS employee accounts still show nil balances,” he stated.
Employee bodies warned that failure to address their demands could lead to escalated agitation.
“If the government continues to ignore our pleas, we will be forced to take further steps,” said B Imtiwabang Jamir, member of the Core Committee, Nagaland NPS Forum.
The protest aligns with similar movements across the country, as eight states have already reverted to OPS, he added.
Nagaland implemented the NPS for government employees appointed on or after January 1, 2010. Since then, a growing section of the workforce has voiced concerns over the scheme’s sustainability, lack of assured benefits, and inadequate family coverage.
With approximately 35,000 NPS subscribers currently in Nagaland, employees have called for urgent reforms before more retirees are left vulnerable. (PTI)
