‘Will implement OPS in 1st Cabinet meet once Cong is back to power’

Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has once again come forward in support of the employees and strongly condemned the lathi charge on the employees gathered in Panchkula demanding old pension scheme (OPS). He said that the employees were protesting for their legitimate demands.

“Lathi charge and use of tear gas on a peaceful protest is highly condemnable. In a democracy, the government runs through dialogue, but the BJP-JJP alliance wants to run the government through sticks and bullets,” he said.

Hooda said the Congress fully supports the demand of the employees and promised to strongly raise the issue in the budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. “If the present government does not accept the demands of the employees, a decision will be taken to implement OPS in the very first cabinet meeting then after the formation of the Congress government in the state. The old pension scheme has already been implemented in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh. Employees in Haryana will also get its benefit on the same lines,” he said.

Talking to reporters after the Congress Legislature Party meeting, he said party MLAs discussed party strategy in the assembly in detail. He said Congress MLAs have given more than 2 dozen calling attention and adjournment motions in the coming assembly session and dozens of other issues will also be raised during the Zero Hour.