Maharashtra state employees start agitation demanding OPS

In what poses as a big challenge to the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra, several lakh employees of the state government, semi-government departments, teaching and non-teaching staff commenced their indefinite strike on Tuesday demanding reversal to old pension scheme (OPS).

However, in the evening, the primary school teachers have decided to withdraw from the agitation.

The Maharashtra State Government Employees Federation has made it clear that the strike will continue until the government accepts their demand for implementation of OPS.

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Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has threatened disciplinary action against the striking employees.

The strike has affected health services at government hospitals, government-run schools and colleges the most as all the class 3 and class 4 employees, teaching and non-teaching staff have gone off duty.

The big concern before the state is that if the strike continues it may affect the evaluation of SSC and HSC examination papers.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have earlier appealed to employees to join work and a day earlier had appointed a panel to go into the details.

As far as major cities like Mumbai and others are concerned, they will not feel much of its impact as employees from the municipal corporations including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have not participated in the strike.

The class 1 and 2 officials are also not participating in the strike, which means the government functioning will not be stalled completely.