CHANDIGARH: In a landmark pro-employee decision, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday approved a roadmap to phase out the decades-old contractual employment system and pave the way for the regularisation of more than 65,000 workers across government departments. The Cabinet cleared two new Bills to bring outsourced employees directly under government employment, eliminating the role of private contractors and establishing a direct employer-employee relationship with the state. Mann said the move would provide job security, dignity and a clear pathway to permanent service for thousands of workers who have served the state for years without regular status.
Under the new framework, outsourced Group C and Group D employees who have completed five years of continuous service will be brought under direct government contractual employment, while workers in hazardous categories such as fire services, sanitation and power sector field staff will become eligible after three years. After completing ten years of contractual service, employees will be considered for absorption against regular sanctioned posts. The reform is expected to benefit workers across 51 departments, including power, local government, education, health, transport and agriculture sectors.
The Cabinet also reconstituted a ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to examine pending Dearness Allowance (DA), pension and pay arrears. In another major decision, it approved the establishment of seven exclusive special courts for speedy trials under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with three courts in SAS Nagar and one each in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Patiala. The Cabinet further approved amendments to the Punjab Superior Judicial Service Rules to strengthen promotion and career progression opportunities for judicial officers in the state.
