Punjab government regularised the services of over 30,000 employees working on contract basis.
Announcing a major Diwali bonanza, the Punjab government on Tuesday regularised the services of over 30,000 employees working on contract basis in various government departments and societies in the state.
The decision, which comes into force with immediate effect, was taken during the cabinet meeting chaired by the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal this afternoon.
With elections barely a few months away, the decision is being seen as a last ditch effort by the Badal Government to win over protesting groups of such employees.
In another significant decision, the cabinet also decided to "adopt" all the employees who have been taken through private outsourcing agencies or contractors. These employees will no longer be on contract with the private contractors but would be shifted straightaway to a direct arrangement with the government.
The cabinet also directed the chief secretary to ensure that all the cases related to employment on compassionate grounds in all departments should be decided and disposed of on priority within a period of three weeks.
In another important decision, the cabinet further decided that the entire backlog of posts related to all reserved categories which included scheduled castes, backward classes, physically handicapped should be immediately filled up through a special recruitment drive.
In a major goodwill gesture and as an expression of honour and gratitude, the cabinet also formally approved the special grant-in-aid of Rs 50 lakh to be given to the war widows or their legal heirs, of the valiant soldiers who had laid down their lives in the 1965 and 1971 India-Pak wars and 1962 India-China war.
The said policy had been announced way back in 1975 and over 1500 war-widows who had applied in time had been allotted up to 10 acres of rural agricultural land or cash equivalent in lieu of land at the rate notified from time to time. However, there were nearly 100 cases in which the applicants, for one reason or another, failed to apply within the stipulated cut-off date. Above 100 such cases had applied till the extended cut-off date January 4, 2010.