The Haryana government’s pre-election announcement of job security for approximately 1.20 lakh contractual employees has failed to satisfy the intended beneficiaries, as key demands still remain unaddressed. While Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s ordinance guarantees work till retirement age, contractual staff see it as a move to curb regular appointments and continue paying lower wages.
Employee federations have flagged that retaining staff on contractual terms merely allows continued cost-cutting. As Subhash Lamba, President of the All India State Government Employees Federation explains, “Guaranteeing job security for contractuals, who effectively hold permanent posts, is a tactic to reduce regular hirings. Since their pay is much lower than regular employees, departments will opt for contractual recruitment to save money.”
Furthermore, the policy leaves out contractuals working on Central projects or under other state implementing agencies. Congress MP Kumari Selja terms this exclusion as unjust, observing thousands in such roles have sought regularization for years.
Selja has demanded dissolution of the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited, the agency managing a large share of contractuals. She asserts equal work deserves equal pay and status.
While providing certainty, the ordinance is accused of overlooking due financial and employment parity for dedicated state servants. The laborers’ long-standing demand for absorption against substantive vacancies through a transparent exercise remains unaddressed.
As a similar previous Congress scheme also regulated just a fraction of the applicants, the current policy too faces questions on meaningful implementation. With crucial issues yet unresolved, Haryana’s contractual employees seem far from fully satisfied by this ‘job bonus’.
