Odisha government gives 25% hike to contractual employees

The Odisha government has made Diwali more beautiful for its contractual employees. The state government has announced a 25 per cent increase in the remunerations of its contractual employees. The decision was taken by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on the occasion of Diwali.

With this decision, almost 33,000 contractual employees will benefit and the State will bear a cost of about Rs 100 crores to make this increment happen.

The Odisha government has issued directives to this effect to officials, such as department heads and all the agencies on whose payrolls these contractual workers exist. Apart from this, the state government has also issued orders to all the agencies that all statutory payments such as ESIC and EPFO be paid to all contractual staff, and ensure that they are paid regularly.

All officials and departments have been directed to ensure that all contractual employees receive their 12 days of annual leave. Very often, contract workers are denied these leaves. From now on, it will be ensured that pregnant women from amongst the contractual staff enjoy maternity leaves as per the guidelines given by the state government.

Quite recently, the Government of Delhi had issued orders to all officials and heads of government departments to ensure that all contractual employees are paid Diwali bonuses on time. The agencies were told that failure to do so would attract serious repercussions.