PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) founder Dr. S. Ramadoss has issued a strong condemnation of the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to dissolve the Directorate of Pension, Government Data Centre, and Directorate of Small Savings, merging them with the Treasury Department.In a statement, Ramadoss expressed concerns that this move would have a significant negative impact on teachers, government employees, and pensioners. He highlighted that the Directorate of Pension has been primarily responsible for addressing issues related to pensions, and dissolving it would signal the government’s reluctance to implement the old pension scheme.
“The government’s decision hints that the so-called Dravidian model government has no intention of bringing back the old pension scheme,” Ramadoss remarked. He pointed out that seven other states in the country have already reintroduced the old pension scheme. He reminded the public that the DMK, which came to power in 2021, had made a campaign promise to reintroduce the old pension scheme in Tamil Nadu.
Ramadoss stressed that the Directorate of Pension should continue to operate as an independent entity to facilitate the reimplementation of the old pension scheme. He criticized the government for backtracking on its earlier commitment. “In 2022, the government announced in the Assembly that these directorates would be strengthened and improved. Instead, it is now choosing to shut them down,” he said.
He further noted that government employees and teachers played a crucial role in the DMK’s electoral victory in 2021. Ramadoss warned that these same groups, feeling betrayed, could respond unfavorably in the upcoming 2026 elections, potentially impacting the party’s chances of re-election.