NCP MLA sits on token hunger strike against Maharashtra govt's decision to recruit staff on contract basis

NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led faction, and other leaders of his party sat on a token hunger strike here on Wednesday to protest against the Maharashtra governments decision to recruit staff on a contract basis in its departments.

NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led faction, and other leaders of his party sat on a token hunger strike here on Wednesday to protest against the Maharashtra government's decision to recruit staff on a contract basis in its departments. Pawar, who represents the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency in neighbouring Ahmednagar district, NCP's Pune city unit president Prashant Jagtap (Sharad Pawar faction) and other leaders in the city took part in the hunger strike at Mahatma Phule Wada in Ganj Peth area. ''We are holding a one-day symbolic hunger strike here to protest the contractual recruitment being done by the state government in its various departments,'' Pawar said. ''Through this recruitment drive, more than 75,000 posts will be filled and the candidates will be recruited on lower wages. So after the deduction of their Provident Fund (PF), they will get a meagre salary. In this process of contractual recruitment, the contractor (who will provide the manpower) will get richer,'' he alleged.

The NCP leader also demanded that a law be brought on the lines of the Rajasthan government's legislation to deal with incidents of exam paper leak. Referring to the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 'talathis', Pawar said that if there is any malpractice has taken place, then an independent committee should be formed to probe.

''If the state government does not take a decision in favour of youth in the state in the coming days, the NCP will intensify their agitation,'' he said.