Maharashtra govt employees on strike for OPS amid appeals from CM Shinde

Lakhs of Maharashtra government employees on Wednesday continued their strike on the second day to demand the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a day after Chief minister Eknath Shinde appealed to them to resume work.

Smooth functioning in government hospitals and offices was affected due to the agitation.

Vishwas Katkar, the convenor of the committee of nearly 35 state government employees, semi-government employees and teachers, said employees from 36 districts have joined the ongoing strike. He rejected Shinde's appeal made in the Assembly on Tuesday and insisted that their demands be met.

On Monday, Shinde had also 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, he said.

Katkar said the state government employees held similar protests in 2018, following which a panel was formed but there was no movement on its report. The employees also resorted to strike in 2022.

However, there was no progress on the fulfilment of the demand.

Sumitra Tote of the Maharashtra Nursing Association said its branches in 30 districts are participating in the strike.