Bhopal Feb 25 PTI Congress leader Jaivardhan Singh 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 Speaking to reporters Singh said the Congress will vociferously raise the issue and it will be a major poll plank in the 2023 state Assembly polls if the demand is 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 Singh said State government employees play a key role in the development of the state They are feeling insecure with the new pension policy that came into force in 2005 he said This is their reasonable demand which should be met The Congress will stand behind the employees numbering in lakhs who want restoration of the old pension scheme the Congress MLA said Singh said he had raised this issue in the last budget session as well but was told that there was no proposal to restore the old pension scheme for employees hired since 2005 The budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly will begin on March 7 In a populist budget the Congress government in Rajasthan announced the restoration of the old pension scheme for its employees appointed on and after January 1 2004 Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in his budget speech said that after 2004 a provision of contributory pension was done under the national pension scheme but this has created a sense of insecurity among the state employees for post-retirement life PTI LAL ARU ARU

Jaipur Dec 30 PTI BJP leaders on Thursday asked its frontal organisations to intensify movement against the Congress government in Rajasthan on issues like farmers loan waiver and law and order A meeting of state executives of various Morchas was held in Bharatpur which was addressed by union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other state leaders Speaking at the meeting Arun Singh national general secretary and party In-charge for Rajasthan said the condition of the Gehlot government is pathetic alleging there is jungle raj in the state under its rule He said crimes against women are on the rise and question papers of competitive exams were leaked but no action was taken by the government Singh called the Congress a confused party State president Satish Poonia alleged that the Congress government failed in delivering good governance and that the law and order has deteriorated under its rule He said the party failed to fulfil its promises of waiving loans of farmers and giving jobs to the unemployed Complete loan waiver for farmers recruitment deteriorating law and order are major issues of the state and Congress will be out of power in Rajasthan forever in 2023 Poonia said He also asked the party workers to highlight the Modi governments schemes and policies among the people PTI SDA VN VN

New Delhi Dec 17 PTI Amid talks of an alliance with the BJP for the Punjab assembly polls former chief minister Amarinder Singh Friday met senior saffron party leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat hereShekhawat also the BJPs Punjab in-charge had met Singh in Chandigarh earlier this monthAfter resigning as the chief minister Singh quit the Congress and formed his own party named Punjab Lok CongressAssembly elections in Punjab are expected to be held early next year PTI JTR TIR TIR

Chandigarh Nov 27 PTI An elementary teacher of a school in Punjab on Saturday climbed atop a mobile tower near the MLA hostel here demanding an increase in his salary The 36-year-old Sohan Singh climbed atop the tower in the early hours of Saturday and refused to come down till his demand was accepted said police Personnel of the fire brigade and policemen tried to convince him to come down but he refused Police said that Singh who was carrying some inflammable material even threatened to immolate himself Shiromani Akali Dal SAD leaderBikram Majithia who spoke to Singh slammed the Congress government over the plight of teachers in Punjab He even spoke to Education Minister Pargat Singh to resolve the issue PTI CHS VSD CK

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 10 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is scheduled to meet soon to discuss the strategy for the upcoming assembly election, said state party president Swatantra Dev Singh on Thursday.