Maharashtra: Panel submits report on OPS implementation

The panel had a director (Accounts and Treasury) as its secretary and was asked to submit a report with recommendations in three months.

Deputy Chief Minister and then Finance minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the government was not opposed to the implementation of OPS in principle and wanted to study the effects of its financial burden on the state and wanted to take decisions after properly studying it.

Maharashtra had become the first BJP-ruled state to positively consider OPS at the time when opposition Congress has been demanding implementation of the OPS across the country.

The state government will now study the report submitted by the committee and is likely to reach out to the decision.

However, Maharashtra government employee unions have already warned of strike from December 14 unless the government fails to announce the decision.

“We have decided to take out a ‘Family March’ in each district and tehsil on December 8 and submit our demand for restoration of the OPS. If there is no proper response, then we will go on an indefinite strike from December 14 for the demand of the OPS,” Vishwas Katkar, convenor of a coordination committee of various organisations of state employees.

Over 17 lakh Maharashtra government, semi government employees as well as teaching and non-teaching staffers, had gone on an indefinite strike in March, demanding implementation of OPS.