Punjab Regularises Services Of Over 14,000 Contractual Workers, Approves Policy To Boost Adventure Tourism

The Punjab government has regularised services of over 14,000 employees as it believes that relieving these employees at this stage would be unjustified and improper.

The Punjab government has regularised services of over 14,000 employees as it believes that relieving these employees at this stage would be unjustified and improper.

The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet on Tuesday approved a policy that will regularise the services of 14,417 ad hoc, contractual, daily wages, work-charged, and temporary employees. The decision was made during a Council of Ministers meeting at the Punjab Civil Secretariat- I. According to a spokesperson from the Chief Minister's Office, the services of 13,000 employees have already been regularized. The previous governments had made appointments for 'Group C' and 'Group D' level posts on a contract/temporary basis, based on imminent requirements and exigencies of service. Some of these employees have worked for 10 years or more, and they have given their prime years of life in service of the state.

The government believes that relieving these employees or replacing them with another set of people at this stage would be unjustified and improper. To protect the interests of these contractual/temporary employees and as a welfare state, the state has formulated the present policy under Article 162 read with entry 41 of List-II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. This policy aims to ensure that such employees do not suffer from uncertainty and harassment and to grant them a security of tenure. The state has taken a policy decision to continue such suitable employees, who fulfill the eligibility conditions, in service until the age of 58 years by placing them in a special cadre.

To be eligible for regularization, employees who have worked on ad-hoc, contractual, daily wages, work charged, or temporary basis for a continuous period of at least ten years until the issuance of the present policy must have the requisite qualification and experience for the post in terms of rules, if any, at the time of placement in the Special Cadre. The work and conduct of the applicant must have remained satisfactory as per the assessment of the department/employer during the period of 10 years service.

Employees must have worked for a minimum of 240 days in each of the ten calendar years and notional breaks will not be considered while calculating the period of ten years. The employees who are granted continuation to the contractual/ad-hoc/temporary employees until the age of 58 years will be placed on a post that will not be a cadre post, by creating a special cadre of posts. These employees will not be placed in the regular cadre of sanctioned posts in the service under the statutory service rules and will form a special cadre of posts created especially for them.

ADVENTURE TOURISM GETS BOOST

The Cabinet also approved the Punjab State Adventure Tourism Policy to attract private investment in the state. The policy provides a transparent mechanism for approval of Adventure Tourism Projects that will be cleared only by an Empowered Committee chaired by the Chief Minister. The Policy focuses on long-term economic gain and the choice of projects shall depend on the future growth potential and their ability to boost the image of the State as a popular and "smart" tourist destination.

Recognized National Adventure Sport Federations will be initially given permission to commence Adventure Sports in the State. The sites shall be given free of cost for a period of two years to give an initial boost to the development of Adventure Tourism in the State. The Cabinet also approved the Punjab State Water Tourism Policy, which aims to give a big boost for attracting private investment near water bodies in the state.

Water Tourism Projects are proposed to be cleared only by an Empowered Committee chaired by the Chief Minister, and the choice of projects will depend on the future growth potential and their ability to boost the image of the State as a popular and "smart" tourist destination. The policy focuses on long-term economic gain and has incorporated a transparent mechanism for approval of Water Tourism Projects.