The OPS-vs-NPS issue continues to simmer in Maharashtra with state government employees threatening to go on a strike even as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting to resolve the issue on Monday.
Employees have announced a strike from Tuesday as part of an agitation spearheaded by Maharashtra State Government Employees Federation (MSGEF).
According to reports, more than 18 lakh state government employees would go on strike.
In the meeting held in the Vidhan Bhavan complex, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Finance portfolio, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar, his counterpart in the Council Ambadas Danve and Chief Secretary Manukumar Shrivastva were present.
In the meeting, the government decided to set up a committee to look into the issue in detail.
It may be recalled, the BJP-led NDA government led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003 had scrapped the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and introduced the National Pension Scheme (NPS) from 1 April, 2004.
The issue has gained momentum after at least five states – Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Punjab – announced their plans to roll out OPS.