37K contract staff set to be regularised in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 16

Over 37,000 contractual employees working in the state government as well as in the state-owned boards and corporations are all set to be regularised.

The agenda for the regularisation of services of employees will be debated in the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday. Sources in the government have told The Tribune that the employees who have completed 10 years of services on contractual/ad hoc basis in various government departments, boards and corporations would be eligible for regularisation, as per the recommendations of a Cabinet sub-committee comprising Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa and Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

It is estimated there are over 32,100 contractual employees in various departments of the state government and about 34,000 such employees in the state-owned boards and corporations. Since regularisation of services is being proposed only against sanctioned posts, only over 50 per cent of these contractual employees stand to benefit. Also, the outsourced employees are unlikely to be considered.

The government has prepared “The Punjab Protection and Regularisation of Contractual Employees Bill”, which will be discussed by the ministers on Friday, along with the financial implications of regularising services of such a huge number of employees. Initially, those whose services are regularised will get only the basic salary for three years, as per the policy of the state government. Sources in the Finance Department say the total salary bill of the government will increase by Rs 900 crore.

Cabinet meet today

The Cabinet on Friday will discuss “The Punjab Protection and Regularisation of Contractual Employees Bill” along with the financial implications of regularising services of such a huge number of employees. Sources in the Finance Department say the total salary bill of the state government will increase by Rs900 crore.

All eyes on rebels

All eyes will be on the rebel ministers and Capt Amarinder Singh during the virtual meeting. The ministers are likely to point out that while the Cabinet meetings are held virtually, the CM is holding outreach programmes physically.