Maha govt employees' strike continues despite govt's appeal for talks, decision on family pension in case of death

If the family pension option is taken, no ex gratia would be paid.Reacting to the decision, Vishwas Katkar, convenor of the committee of 36 unions of state government employees, semi-government employees and teachers, said, A decision has been taken about benefits under the NPS in the event of the death of an employee, but those who are alive are being denied the Old Pension Scheme. Government employees are on strike since March 14 seeking OPS, under which a retired employee got monthly pension equivalent to 50 per cent hisher last drawn salary.

Thousands of Maharashtra government employees on Friday continued their strike for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) on the fourth day even as the government rolled out a scheme where family pension can be granted if an employee dies during service.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appealed the striking employees to come forward for talks. The Bombay High Court, on the other hand, asked the government what measures it was taking against the menace of ''illegal strikes''.

Government services continued to remain affected while the umbrella organisation of the agitating employees blamed the government for “not initiating” any discussion to end the impasse.

The strike will, therefore, continue on Saturday, it said. In a fresh appeal, Chief Minister Shinde asked the employees to come to the discussion table. ''We have set up a three-member committee to study the old pension scheme and it will give its report in three months,'' he told reporters here.

The state cabinet, meanwhile, decided to provide the option of availing of family pension to the kin if a government employee dies while in service.

At present, under the National Pension System (NPS), ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh is paid to the kin of a state government employee in case of death while in service. If the family pension option is taken, no ex gratia would be paid.

Reacting to the decision, Vishwas Katkar, convenor of the committee of 36 unions of state government employees, semi-government employees and teachers, said, ''A decision has been taken about benefits under the NPS in the event of the death of an employee, but those who are alive are being denied the Old Pension Scheme.” Government employees are on strike since March 14 seeking OPS, under which a retired employee got monthly pension equivalent to 50 per cent his/her last drawn salary. The OPS was replaced by contribution-based and market-linked NPS in 2004-05.

Hearing a plea against the strike, the Bombay High Court said citizens should not suffer. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing an application filed by advocate Gunratan Sadavarte seeking immediate withdrawal of the strike.

Advocate General Birendra Saraf told the court that the strike was “illegal”.

''Our anxiety is that the common citizens should not be deprived of essential services. Common citizens should not suffer. We want to know what steps the state is taking to curb this menace. What are the modalities and steps the government is taking to ensure basic amenities and essential services are made available to people,” the court said.

The bench while posting the matter for further hearing on March 23 noted that people have the right to protest but the government has to ensure steps are taken so that no one suffers.