Agitations for Restoration of OPS and Clarification on Railway Privatization: Rajya Sabha QA

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 142
ANSWERED ON 02.02.2024

AGITATIONS FOR RESTORATION OF OPS

142 SHRI M. SHANMUGAM:
SHRI VAIKO:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether some railway trade unions have recently staged fasting agitations against the reported move to gradually privatise Railways and for restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to its employees;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the details of steps taken by Government to restore OPS to railway employees and to assure them of not privatizing operation of existing railway trains or the trains that would be introduced in due course?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): In pension matters, Railways are governed by Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW) guidelines. DoP&PW vide O.Ms. dated 17.02.2020 and 03.03.2023 has given one time option for coverage of employees governed by National Pension System (NPS) under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) on fulfilment of certain conditions given therein. The said instructions issued by DoP&PW have been adopted by the Ministry of Railways vide Railway Board’s instructions dated 03.03.2020 and 10.03.2023 respectively and coverage under OPS has been extended to those Railway employees covered under NPS who fulfil the required conditions.

At present, no regular passenger carrying trains of Indian Railways network are being operated by private train operators and no such proposal is under consideration.

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