Edappadi K Palaniswami has accused the DMK government of introducing the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme as a deceptive measure ahead of the Assembly elections. He argues it is merely a rebranding of the Central government’s Unified Pension Scheme.
India
-Krishna Kripa
The
Tamil
Nadu
Assured
Pension
Scheme
(TAPS)
has
been
introduced
by
the
DMK
government,
allegedly
as
a
strategy
for
the
upcoming
Assembly
election,
according
to
AIADMK
general
secretary
Edappadi
K
Palaniswami.
He
claimed
that
it
is
merely
a
rebranding
of
the
Central
government’s
Unified
Pension
Scheme,
which
was
introduced
on
April
1,
2025,
as
an
option
under
the
National
Pension
System
for
its
employees.
image
Edappadi
K
Palaniswami
has
accused
the
DMK
government
of
introducing
the
Tamil
Nadu
Assured
Pension
Scheme
as
a
deceptive
measure
ahead
of
the
Assembly
elections.
He
argues
it
is
merely
a
rebranding
of
the
Central
government’s
Unified
Pension
Scheme.
After
assuming
office
in
2021
with
a
commitment
to
reinstate
the
Old
Pension
Scheme,
the
DMK
government
has
now
announced
TAPS
towards
the
end
of
its
term.
This
move
is
seen
as
an
attempt
to
address
the
demands
of
state
government
employees.
Palaniswami
described
this
action
as
deceptive
in
a
statement
released
on
Saturday.
Political
Reactions
and
Allegations
Palaniswami
criticised
Chief
Minister
M
K
Stalin
for
frequently
opposing
the
Centre
yet
adopting
its
pension
scheme
under
a
new
name.
“The
government
employees
will
realise
the
truth
one
day…
They
will
defeat
the
DMK
in
the
coming
election
and
give
a
befitting
reply,” Palaniswami
stated.
He
believes
that
employees
will
eventually
see
through
this
strategy
and
respond
accordingly
in
future
elections.
Despite
these
allegations,
representatives
from
the
Joint
Action
Council
of
Tamil
Nadu
Teachers
Organisations
and
Government
Employees
Organisation
(JACTO-GEO)
have
expressed
support
for
TAPS.
They
extended
their
gratitude
to
Chief
Minister
Stalin
for
introducing
the
new
scheme,
indicating
a
divide
in
opinion
among
stakeholders.
Implementation
and
Support
The
state
government
announced
on
Saturday
that
a
government
order
(GO)
has
been
issued
to
implement
TAPS.
This
development
signifies
a
formal
step
towards
enacting
the
scheme,
despite
ongoing
political
debates
surrounding
its
introduction.
The
differing
reactions
highlight
contrasting
perspectives
on
TAPS
within
Tamil
Nadu’s
political
landscape.
While
some
view
it
as
a
strategic
move
by
the
DMK,
others
see
it
as
a
beneficial
initiative
for
state
employees.
The
unfolding
situation
around
TAPS
reflects
broader
political
dynamics
in
Tamil
Nadu.
As
discussions
continue,
both
supporters
and
critics
are
closely
monitoring
how
this
scheme
will
impact
upcoming
elections
and
employee
satisfaction.
With
inputs
from
PTI
