The issue of bringing Old Pension Scheme (OPS) of citizens has picked up momentum in Haryana after its two adjoining states – Punjab and Rajasthan – resumed the plan citing that it is for the security of senior citizens.
However, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal outrightly refused to resume the Old Pension Scheme stating that the state government will not bring it into existence again.
Another issue of exaggerated pension of former MLAs and MPs and their families also surfaced. MLA Balraj Singh Kundu raised the issue in Vidhan Sabha saying that the Haryana Legislative Assembly should pass the bill to curb exaggerated pension of legislators.
An RTI revealed that 275 former legislators and 128 families of deceased legislators are being given pensions which puts a financial burden of around Rs 30 crore on the state exchequer every year. Thus, 403 former MLAs and their families are the beneficiaries for the same.
Captain Ajay Yadav who has been a Cabinet minister is getting Rs 2,38,110. The list of present or former MLAs getting a pension Rs 2 lakh or more includes former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, Chandravati Shukla, Balbir Pal Shah, professor Sampat Singh and Captain Ajay Yadav. While, the list of former MLAs getting a monthly pension between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh includes Krishna Lal Pawar, Ramvilas Sharma, Karan Singh Dalal, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Birendra Singh dumarkha, Phoolchand Mulana Ashok Arora, Chandramohan Bishnoi, Dharmveer Gaba, Shakuntala Phagwaria, Uday Bhan Anand Singh Dangi and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Two dominating political families – Chautala and Bhajanlal – remain on the top in terms of maximum family members getting maximum pension. Om Prakash Chautala is getting a pension of Rs 2,25,500 along with his son Ajay Chautala, while three of his family members – Abhay Singh Chautala, Ranjeet Singh Chautala and Dushyant Singh Chautala – will get pension in the future.
Similarly Jashma Devi, the wife of former Chief Minister Late Bhajanlal, gets two pensions and draws Rs 2.61 lakh. Her son Chandra Mohan Bishnoi and daughter-in-law Renuka Bishnoi have been MLAs earlier so they also get pension.