Andhra Pradesh sets 31 December deadline for CPS employees to opt for Old Pension Scheme

Andhra Pradesh has issued step-by-step rules for staff who want to move from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to the Old Pension Scheme, and fixed 31 December 2026 as the last date to submit the option. Principal Secretary (Finance) Peeyush Kumar issued the guidelines through G.O.Ms.No.158 on Monday, 9 November.

The order covers serving employees, retired employees and family pension beneficiaries. Each group has to give its option in the prescribed manner before the deadline.

Who can opt

The window is meant for staff whose posts were notified before 1 September 2004 yet entered government service from that day onward. They sit under the CPS now because the state applied that scheme to every appointee from 1 September 2004, following the Centre’s National Pension System, which has covered central employees since 1 January 2004.

The Centre’s Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare had earlier issued office memoranda offering these staff a single option. Andhra Pradesh adopted the same approach and said guidelines would follow. A circular of 13 July 2026 had made clear that the choice can be exercised only once: an employee who moves to the old scheme cannot return to the CPS, and one who does not opt stays in the CPS.

How the process will run

Officers who make appointments must clear the proposals quickly. Heads of Offices must keep the records in order so that pension benefits are settled on time and the process stays transparent. The Secretariat Departments, Heads of Departments and the Director of Treasuries and Accounts have been asked to see that the instructions are followed strictly.

Everyone in the three groups has until 31 December 2026 to file the option under G.O.Ms.No.158.