Maha govt employees' strike for Old Pension Scheme continues on day 5

The strike of Maharashtra government employees for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme OPS continued on the fifth day on Saturday, with union leaders stating that the situation would worsen if the government did not take any decision.Even crop damage assessment following unseasonal rains in the state has been affected as agriculture department employees and others are on strike.Lakhs of employees including nursing staff of government hospitals and teachers are on strike since March 14.

The strike of Maharashtra government employees for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) continued on the fifth day on Saturday, with union leaders stating that the situation would worsen if the government did not take any decision.

Even crop damage assessment following unseasonal rains in the state has been affected as agriculture department employees and others are on strike.

Lakhs of employees including nursing staff of government hospitals and teachers are on strike since March 14. Vishwas Katkar, convenor of the committee of 36 unions of state government employees, semi-government employees and teachers said the strike has been very effective. "If the government does not take decisions that benefit the employees, the situation will further exacerbate," he said in a statement. With nurses and wardboys joining the strike, government hospitals are the worst hit.

Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar said in Beed that the government will have to make alternative arrangements to assess crop damage due to unseasonal rains as employees are on strike.

''Farmers are in distress due to damage caused to crops by unseasonal rains in the state. The process of panchnamas is affected as agriculture assistants, gram sevaks and talathis are on strike. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde asked me if BSc agriculture graduates and other educated youths can do panchnamas,'' Sattar said at an event organised by the agriculture department.

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