Shivsangram Party Demands Retirement Age to be Increased to 60 Years: Jyoti Mete
Pune, 21st April 2025: “There is no disagreement over granting loan waivers to farmers in the state. However, instead of repeatedly discussing loan waivers, it is more important to focus on making farmers economically self-reliant. Farmers should receive fair prices for their agricultural produce, agricultural processing should be promoted, agriculture should be linked with non-agricultural sectors, and coordination between the agriculture, cooperation, and revenue departments should ensure 100% crop loans during both the kharif and rabi seasons,” demanded Shivsangram Party President Jyoti Vinayak Mete.
A state-level meeting of the Shivsangram Party was held at the Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Art Gallery in Pune. Following the meeting, Jyoti Mete addressed the media at a press conference. On the occasion, State Vice President Prabhakar Kolangade, State Secretary Yogesh Vichare, Pune City President Bharat Lagad, senior leaders Shekhar Pawar, Vasant Patil, P.K. Chavan, and district-level party leaders and office bearers were present in large numbers.
Jyoti Mete stated, “Even though the water consecration ceremony for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial in the Arabian Sea was performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, construction of the memorial has not yet begun. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers must take immediate steps to strongly represent the case in the Mumbai High Court and Supreme Court so that the work can commence promptly. I also appreciate the state government for allocating budget for the memorials of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and the historical site in Panipat that commemorates the bravery of the Marathas. Steps should also be taken to build a memorial for Swarajya visionary Shahaji Maharaj at Houdegiri (Davanagere), Karnataka.”
She highlighted that the central budget has made special provisions for women entrepreneurs and startups. To support more women-led startups in Maharashtra, incubation centers and special cells should be established at the district level under District Industries Centers. Currently, the retirement age for Group D employees and All India Services officers in Maharashtra is 58 years, whereas in the central government and 25 other states, it is 60 years. This discrepancy is unreasonable. Even if a Group D employee over the age of 55 is promoted to Group C, they cannot benefit from it due to the early retirement age. This has caused widespread dissatisfaction among government employees. Hence, the retirement age in Maharashtra should be raised to 60 years,” Mete added.
Speaking on rising crime in Beed, Mete said, “The murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh is condemnable. I have been demanding strict action against the accused from the beginning. The culprits have now been arrested. The police must carry out an impartial investigation and ensure justice is served. After Ajit Pawar assumed charge as the Guardian Minister of Beed, we, like the citizens, expect the administration to perform well. Ajit Pawar’s influence is visible in administrative actions. The assault on a woman lawyer in Ambajogai is deeply disturbing. Such incidents tarnish Beed’s reputation. Police must take strict action regardless of the accused’s political affiliation.”
She concluded by saying that the Shivsangram Party’s stance in upcoming local body elections will be announced later. At present, the focus is on resolving issues faced by farmers and women. A state-wide membership drive is underway, and organizational strengthening is being prioritized. In every district, more and more people are joining the Shivsangram Party.
