Maharashtra government employees to work for five days a week from February 29

CM Uddhav Thackeray in a recent announcement has given a sigh of relief for Maharashtra state government employees as the government on Wednesday announced a five-day working week for its employees. The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Thackeray and this decision will be implemented from February 29, 2020.

Earlier, CM Thackeray had given a nod to the idea and had asked for a  proposal which was submitted for cabinet approval. After discussing the same with the authorities and the respective departments, a final nod was given by the Thackeray-led cabinet. The move is similar to the counterparts which employees in the Union government enjoy. 

The Cabinet has also taken a decision about establishing the state department for OBCs, SEBCs (socially and educationally backward classes), VJNTs (vimukt jati and nomadic tribes) and special backward classes. The unit will now be known as the 'Bahujan Kalyan Department'.

राज्य शासकीय कर्मचाऱ्यांसाठी राज्य सरकारने गुड न्यूज दिली आहे. आज झालेल्या राज्य मंत्रिमंडळाच्या बैठकीत २९ फेब्रुवारीपासून शासकीय कर्मचाऱ्यांसाठी पाच दिवसांचा आठवडा करण्याचा निर्णय घेण्यात आला आहे. याशिवाय या मंत्रिमंडळ बैठकीत घेण्यात आलेले निर्णय पुढीलप्रमाणे...
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While the state government employees will have a five-day week, they will have to work for an additional 45 minutes daily at the workplace, which means 3.75 additional hours in a week. However, all the emergency services will be excluded from the five-day work program.

The State Government Gazetted Officers’ Organisation held a meeting with CM Thackeray on February 4, 2020, to voice their various pending demands. One of the key demands was a 5-day work week and holidays on all Saturday and Sundays.

At present, the state government employees are given holidays only on second and fourth Saturdays. Earlier, the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had also agreed in principle for the same but a final decision for the same was not taken.

Currently, over 20 lakh officers and employees work in government, semi-government and local bodies in the state.