The Government of Maharashtra has announced 19 per cent increment in basic pay along with a 25 per cent increase in allowances for the employees of three power utilities.
The increment will benefit all officers and staff members of Maharashtra State Power Generation Company, Maharashtra State Power Distribution Company, and Maharashtra State Power Transmission Company. All these holding companies are under the energy department.
The unions of these power companies have been demanding a hike for some time now, along with the regularisation of contract employees. The hike was announced by Maharashtra Deputy Chie Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Additionally, assistants will now see an increment of Rs 500 in allowance during probationary period, while the technical staff will get an allowance of Rs 1000 instead of the earlier Rs 500.
Earlier this year, in March 2024, thousands of contractual employees of the three state-run power utility companies had threatened to launch an indefinite strike if their demands were not fulfilled. Pay hike was one of their demands. The Maharashtra State Power Contractual Employees’ Association Joint Action Committee, which has various unions as its members, had demanded a 30 per cent hike in monthly allowances with retrospective effect from 1 April, 2023. The employees also wanted to be assured that their tenure would last till they turned 60 years of age. Since contract staff members were not given medical benefits, the unions also wanted the state government to provide these contract staff and their families a health cover of Rs 15 lakh. Additionally, the unions sought special allowance for employees who were posted in Naxal-affected areas.
