Bhopal: Congress leader Jaivardhan Singh interacting with the reporters on Friday said he has appealed to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to restore the old pension scheme for state government employees like Rajasthan did earlier this week.He stated that the party would vociferously raise the issue and would consider this as a major poll strategy in the 2023 state assembly polls if the demands are not met.

“I have written to Shivrajji regarding restoration of the old pension scheme. We are going to vociferously raise this issue in the budget session of the Assembly. Our leader Kamal Nathji is going to raise this issue and it would be a major poll plank in the 2023 MP assembly polls if the demand is not met,” he said. He asserted that state employees play a key role in the development of the state.

Highlighting that he was turned down in the last Budget session, Singh said, “ the Congress will stand behind the employees (numbering in lakhs), who want restoration of the old pension scheme.”

The demands by the state Congress party came in after the Gehlot govt announced the restoration of the old pension scheme for its employees appointed on and after January 1, 2004.