Haryana Assembly Passes Bill Ensuring Job Security for Contractual Employees Until Superannuation

The Haryana assembly approved a Bill on Monday that guarantees job security for contractual employees until retirement. The Haryana Contractual Employees Security of Service Bill, 2024, aims to enhance service conditions and ensure stability in government departments. This legislation replaces an ordinance from August this year.

Eligible employees must have been engaged on contract by a government organisation and earn Rs 50,000 monthly or be deployed by the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) under the Deployment of Contractual Persons Policy, 2022. They must have completed at least five years of full-time service by the appointed date.

Government's Commitment to Job Security

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stated that the state government plans to secure the services of 1.2 lakh employees under the HKRN and outsourcing policy until their retirement. A separate Bill will address employees earning above Rs 50,000 monthly. Saini criticised the previous Congress government for exploiting outsourced employees.

The BJP government introduced systematic changes to correct these flawed policies, establishing the HKRN on April 1, 2022. This initiative ensures transparency in recruitment and protects employees from contractor exploitation. Existing contractual employees were integrated into this system with new deployments made transparently.

Opposition's Concerns and Allegations

During the discussion, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded regularisation of all contractual employees, alleging a lack of transparency in HKRN operations. Congress member Geeta Bhukkal accused the system of favouritism in appointments. MLA Aditya Surjewala claimed highly qualified youth were applying for minor jobs without real solutions from HKRN.

Congress legislator B B Batra also criticised the absence of transparency and reservation policy in HKRN, suggesting the Bill be reviewed by a select committee to address anomalies. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Saini detailed reservations provided through HKRN deployments.

Reservation Benefits and Future Plans

Saini highlighted that 28% reservation was extended to Scheduled Castes, benefiting 37,404 youth, while 32% reservation was given to Backward Classes, aiding 41,376 youth in securing employment. The state government plans to initiate recruitment for two lakh regular posts soon.

This Bill reflects Haryana's commitment to improving job security and service conditions for its contractual workforce while addressing past policy shortcomings.