Approximately 17 lakh government employees in Maharashtra are set to participate in a one-day strike today to advocate for the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Despite a meeting between state government officials and employee union representatives on Wednesday evening, discussions failed to yield an agreement. Consequently, the unions have proceeded with their original plan to strike on December 14. This marks the second instance of Maharashtra government employees rallying for OPS, following a similar strike in March 2023.
In response to the previous strike, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde established a committee featuring former senior bureaucrats Subodh Kumar, K P Bakshi, and Sudhir Kumar Shrivastava. The committee was tasked with studying both the old and new pension schemes and submitting recommendations within three months. The three-member committee presented its report to Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in November 2023.
Speaking during the Winter Session of the state legislature at the Legislative Council, Ajit Pawar expressed the government’s positive stance on the OPS demand. He stated that a decision regarding OPS implementation is likely before the next budget session following a thorough examination of the committee’s report.
Previously, Deputy Chief Minister and former Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted that the government, in principle, was not opposed to OPS implementation. Fadnavis explained that the government aimed to assess the financial implications on the state before reaching a decision.
It’s noteworthy that Maharashtra, a BJP-ruled state, became the first to consider OPS positively, aligning with the demand made by the Opposition Congress across the country.