Tamil Nadu employees demand restoration of old pension scheme

Government employees in Tamil Nadu protested on Tuesday, demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme. They claim that the ruling DMK party promised to bring it back during the 2021 election campaign. The protest took place at the Chidambara Nagar bus stop, led by M. Maragathalingam, the state vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Association. Protesters argued that the DMK received strong support from government workers and teachers based on this promise. Since taking office, the government has not addressed this issue. Instead, it has formed a committee to evaluate the Centre’s Unified Pension Scheme. Former state general secretary M. Ganesan warned that if the government fails to fulfill its promise, it could face backlash in the 2026 elections. Additionally, the protesters called for pensions for those currently excluded from the scheme and sought permanent pay scales for certain workers.