Approximately 1.7 million government employees, encompassing those from the Mantralaya, municipal corporations, Zilla Parishads, health sectors, as well as both teaching and non-teaching personnel, are set to initiate an indefinite strike starting Tuesday. Their action stems from grievances that the commitments made during the previous Eknath Shinde administration, including the approved revised pension scheme, have been disregarded by the current government.
Vishwas Katkar, the General Secretary of the State Government Employees Federation and coordinator of the coordination committee, stated that essential services for patients will remain operational throughout the strike.
“In spite of multiple protests and the submission of various memorandums, the government has not addressed the outstanding issues affecting employees. A detailed notification outlining the rules, procedures, and conditions of the revised National Pension Scheme (RNPS), which was introduced by the state government, is still awaited. The government has been delaying its implementation for the past 15 months,” Katkar remarked.
He further noted that employees are beginning to suspect that the government is intentionally overlooking these unresolved demands.
Katkar pointed out that many of the employees’ requests have been pending for 15 to 20 years, and they are urging the government to take action. Key demands include the implementation of the Assured Career Progression Scheme for thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff who have been denied benefits after 10, 20, and 30 years of service, as well as raising the retirement age to 60.
The federation highlighted that currently, 35% of sanctioned positions remain unfilled, resulting in excessive workloads for the existing staff and obstructing promotional opportunities within several departments, necessitating immediate recruitment.
Additional demands include reversing the complete ban on hiring Class IV employees and drivers, launching a comprehensive cashless insurance program for state employees and teachers modeled on the Kerala system, and reinstating the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for teachers appointed prior to November 1, 2005.
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