Pune: State govt plans IT Study Cell for Hinjawadi and other IT hubs to address layoffs, labour rights concerns of workers

Pune, 21st April 2026: The Maharashtra government is set to establish a dedicated “IT Study Cell” to examine job insecurity, layoffs and labour rights issues faced by employees in Hinjawadi and other IT hubs across the state, Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap said on Tuesday after a high-level meeting with Labour Minister Aakash Fundkar at Mantralaya in Mumbai.

Jagtap said the initiative comes after repeated representations over concerns such as sudden layoffs, alleged exploitation under restructuring exercises and growing uncertainty among freshers entering the sector. He added that the issue has now reached the Chief Minister’s office, and a special meeting in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected soon to take policy decisions for IT professionals.

A joint meeting on issues concerning IT employees was held at Mantralaya on Tuesday in the presence of Labour Minister Fundkar. During the meeting, Jagtap raised concerns over job insecurity, the absence of adequate legal safeguards and increasing complaints from employees in the IT sector.

Following the discussion, the Labour Minister directed officials to initiate the process of setting up an IT Study Cell comprising experts to examine the need for sector-specific legal provisions and stronger implementation mechanisms.

Officials from the Labour, Industry and Information Technology departments attended the meeting along with Labour Commissioner Dr H P Tummod, Principal Secretary (Labour) I A Kundan, representatives of the Forum for IT Employees and legal officers.

Jagtap said that despite the IT sector’s significant contribution to Maharashtra’s economy, the concerns of employees often remain unaddressed. He said the proposed study cell would focus on clearly defining the legal status of IT employees, extending protection under labour laws and framing guidelines to prevent arbitrary layoffs by companies.

The meeting also discussed setting up a dedicated IT Tribunal for quicker resolution of employee grievances and workplace disputes.

Other proposals included seeking intervention through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to secure retirement and post-employment benefits, stricter compliance checks for Internal Complaints Committees under the POSH Act, review of workplace facilities, and legal safeguards against alleged blacklisting of terminated employees.

According to Jagtap, the Labour Minister also indicated that a special IT Tribunal or fast-track labour court for IT-related complaints could be operational by the end of June.

He said the Industry, Labour and IT departments were working in coordination to frame long-term solutions. “The IT sector is the backbone of the state economy. But the job security and legal rights of IT employees cannot be ignored. The Labour Minister has assured the formation of an IT Study Cell, and a meeting at the Chief Minister’s level will soon be held for concrete decisions,” Jagtap said.