Maharashtra government employees on strike to seek restoration of OPS

Lakhs of employees of the Maharashtra government went on strike on Tuesday seeking restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a move that could hamper the functioning of the state administration and affect many services.

Paramedics working in hospitals run by the state government and civic bodies, sanitation workers, and teachers have also joined the strike at a time when examinations for classes 10 and 12 are underway.

The employees resorted to the strike after the talks between the unions and the state government failed on Monday.

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On Tuesday, employees raised slogans like “Only one mission, Restore Old Pension” outside government offices and hospitals.

The state witnessed unseasonal rains last week resulting in large-scale damage to standing crops. The panchnama or loss assessment process, a crucial step to fix the compensation for farmers, could also be affected due to the strike.

A day before, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had announced a panel comprising senior bureaucrats to look into the demand of state government employees to revert to the Old Pension Scheme. The panel will give its report in a time-bound manner, officials said.

Shinde and Deputy Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had also appealed to the government employees not to go ahead with the strike.