Ministerial panel meets to talk pension scheme, 2nd grade teachers’ stir

Chennai: A day after a panel led by senior officer Gagandeep Singh Bedi submitted its final report on the pension scheme for govt employees, a high-level committee headed by minister E V Velu held discussions with chief secretary N Muruganandham and finance secretary T Udhayachandran on the recommendations in the report.

Sources at the state secretariat said ministers Thangam Thennarasu and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, along with Velu, met senior officers to deliberate on the possible implementation of a modified pension scheme for govt employees. The meeting, which lasted more than an hour, reviewed the panels suggestions.

The panel recommended that benefits such as commutation of pension, insurance cover and death-cum-retirement gratuity be incorporated into the unified pension scheme (UPS).

They also discussed the ongoing protest by second-grade teachers demanding equal pay for equal work, where those appointed before June 1, 2009, received a basic pay of 8,370, while teachers appointed on or after were received 5,200, despite having the same qualifications and performing identical duties.

It was decided that a final call would be taken at the cabinet meeting to be chaired by chief minister M K Stalin on Jan 6.

Meanwhile, the high-level committee is contemplating reaching out to representatives of JACTTO-GEO for a meeting to request them to call off or defer their agitation. JACTTO-GEO representatives said they would not defer their decision to proceed with the indefinite strike.

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