Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said his government will regularise the services of 35,000 contractual employees.
”A decision has been taken to regularise the services of 35,000 contractual employees of group C and D,” Mann said in a video message.
”It is a historic decision,” he added.
The CM said his party before the Punjab assembly polls had promised that it would regularise the services of contractual employees after coming to power.
Mann said he has given directions to the chief secretary to bring a draft bill before the next assembly session in this regard so as to get it approved in the Vidhan Sabha and then implement it.
The CM said he has directed the chief secretary to do away with the contractual and outsourcing system for recruitment.
”It is surprising that there are many vacant positions in government schools,” said Mann, adding that but the eligible teachers were holding protests atop water tanks for jobs.
”It is not that new jobs are to be created. We will do that too,” said Mann.
He said he does not want turbans of protesters to come off or ”chunnis” of protesting women to fall off.
There was no chowk or water tank where a dharna was not going on, he said.
In coming days, more decisions will be taken, added Mann.
”It is your government and the decisions will also be in your favour,” he told the people of the state.
The fresh announcement came days after Mann announced to fill 25,000 posts in government departments. Mann had then said 10,000 jobs will be given in the Punjab Police Department and the rest will be offered in other departments, boards and corporations.
Previous Charanjit Singh Channi-led government had also brought the Punjab Protection and Regularisation of Contractual Employees Bill, 2021 to regularise services of 36,000 employees. The Bill was passed by the Assembly in November last year. Channi had then accused Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit of dithering on approving the Bill under pressure from the BJP. Later, the Governor sent the file regarding regularisation of services of contractual employees to the chief minister’s office with some queries for clarification.
