📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Indopug
Politics
Akhilesh Yadav vows to restore old pension scheme if SP forms UP government
✍️ India Today
🗓 29 Sep 2026, 10:38 AM
👁 15
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said his party will re‑introduce the old pension scheme for government employees if it wins power in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP), announced that his party will bring back the pre‑2004 pension scheme for state government employees if it secures a governing majority in Uttar Pradesh. The statement was made during a press briefing ahead of the upcoming state elections, where the SP is positioning itself as a pro‑worker alternative.
The old pension scheme, which guarantees a fixed percentage of the last drawn salary as retirement benefit, was replaced in 2004 by a contributory system. Many senior staff and retirees have long campaigned for its revival, arguing that the newer model offers lower post‑retirement security.
Yadav’s pledge aims to attract the large base of government workers and pensioners, a demographic that traditionally influences voting patterns in the state. Political analysts note that the promise could sharpen the contest with rival parties, while the state administration has not commented on the feasibility of reinstating the scheme.
The old pension scheme, which guarantees a fixed percentage of the last drawn salary as retirement benefit, was replaced in 2004 by a contributory system. Many senior staff and retirees have long campaigned for its revival, arguing that the newer model offers lower post‑retirement security.
Yadav’s pledge aims to attract the large base of government workers and pensioners, a demographic that traditionally influences voting patterns in the state. Political analysts note that the promise could sharpen the contest with rival parties, while the state administration has not commented on the feasibility of reinstating the scheme.