Maharashtra govt should fulfil employees' demand for old pension scheme: Uddhav

Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday came out in support of government employees who have been seeking restoration of the old pension scheme OPS reported the PTIUddhav Thackeray said that the government should fulfil their demands immediatelyAddressing government employees who gathered at the Yeshwant Stadium in Nagpur district of Maharashtra to press for their demand former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that if his party comes to power it will fulfil their demand as per the PTIToday I am not the chief minister and my party and its election symbol have been stolen I could have taken a decision if I had been the chief minister But I have come to give you strength and faith he saidGovernment comes and goes but the faith that you have in us I want to assure you that the Shiv Sena will fight with you in every step you take Uddhav Thackeray saidNotably several government and semigovernment employees in Maharashtra have been demanding restoration of the OPS which was discontinued in the state in 2005Under the OPS a government employee gets a monthly pension equivalent to 50 per cent hisher last drawn salary There was no need for contribution by employeesUnder the New Pension Scheme a state government employee contributes 10 per cent of hisher basic salary plus dearness allowance with the state making a matching contribution The money is then invested in one of the several pension funds approved by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority PFRDA and the returns are marketlinkedUddhav Thackeray told members of the gathering that while they were demanding their rights the government was not willing to help themDo not stop your fight until you win he saidUddhav Thackeray told the gathering that the government may misguide them with false promisesDo not fall prey to false promises of the government Time has come to finish politics of treachery and falsehood from Maharashtra It is time to show doors to this insensitive government he saidUddhav Thackeray also claimed the votes cast in ballots by government employees in the recently held elections in four states were against the ruling parties in those statesLater talking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan premises in Nagpur where the winter session of the state legislature is underway Thackeray said the government should fulfil the government employees demand of OPS immediatelyHe also took a swipe at Nationalist Congress Party NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal who along with Ajit Pawar and some other leaders joined the Eknath Shinde government in July this yearUddhav Thackeray said that he will visit Chhagan Bhujbal to eat sweets because the investigation against him in an alleged corruption case has been suddenly closedWe want to know what miracle he has performed that the investigation against him has been closed he said according to the PTIUddhav Thackeray further said in sarcastic remarks that after the winter session of the state legislature ends he will go to meet NCP leader Praful Patel who supports Ajit Pawars NCP faction for dinner and request him mirchi kam jevan dya serve food with less chillyNotably Patel was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in the past in connection with its money laundering probe linked to alleged illegal assets of gangster Iqbal Mirchi who was an aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood IbrahimPatel who was with Sharad Pawar at that time had claimed there wasnt even a single paisa worth property transactionOn the Backward Class Commission chairman Justice Anand Nirgude retired stepping down from the post Thackeray claimed it was being said that he was forced to resign under pressure from a minister and sought to know who is that ministerLeader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday alleged that members of the state Backward Class Commission were being forced to resign and informed the House that its chairman Justice Nirgude retired has also stepped down from the post on December 4The Shiv Sena UBT chief said that the government should reveal why this was kept secret from the Housewith PTI inputs