The Maharashtra Government is committed to fast, efficient, and transparent governance, with the Revenue Department playing a vital role in that mission. In a positive development, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured representatives of the Land Records Department surveyors that their demands are being taken seriously and will be pursued with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Following a productive meeting held at Mantralaya with representatives from various surveyor unions, the employees announced their immediate return to duty, effectively ending their strike.
The strike had been called over several demands, the most prominent being the revision of the surveyors’ pay scale to S-8 as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Minister Bawankule addressed these issues during the meeting, which was also attended virtually by Settlement Commissioner Suhas Divase.
Key Assurances and Directives Issued:
Revised Pay Proposal: The Revenue Minister directed the Settlement Commissioner to submit a revised proposal for increasing the surveyors’ pay scale.
Pursuit with Higher Authorities: The proposal will be forwarded to the Finance Department and escalated to the Chief Minister for approval.
Promotion Examinations: The Minister announced that provisions for promotion examinations after five years of service will be included in the department’s 150-day action plan.
Travel Allowance & Equipment: Minister Bawankule also approved the demand for travel allowances for field duties and issued directives to initiate tenders for the procurement of rovers and laptops essential for surveying tasks.
Contractual Recruitment: Approval was also granted for the contractual recruitment of peon positions within the department.
Minister Bawankule emphasized that the government is taking a constructive and positive approach to the surveyors' demands and urged employees to resume work immediately to prevent disruption to public services. Responding to this, representatives of the surveyor unions expressed gratitude and confirmed their return to work.
