By lending his approval to the implementation of the ‘Rajasthan Contractual Hiring to Civil Post Rules, 2022’, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has paved the way for regularisation of contractual staff employed in various departments across the state government.
The move will benefit over 1.10 lakh contract workers and will ensure social security to them.
If this Rule is implemented, there will be more transparency when it comes to the hiring of contractual workers. Additionally, reservation issues will also be taken into consideration during the recruitment process.
Although contract workers have contributed significantly to the implementation of welfare and social security schemes of the central and the state governments, little has been done to ensure their social security. While several committees were formed to regularise the contractual staff of the state government, their grievances were not resolved permanently. In the 2021-22 state budget, the CM had announced the creation of a department-wise cadre of contractual employees, and also announced a 20 per cent increment in their honorarium in the 2022-23 budget.
A government release reveals that the about 41,423 contractual employees working in the education department, including shiksha karmis, para-teachers, gram panchayat assistants, MG English medium teachers will benefit from the implementation of the Rule. It will also benefit about 1, 18,326 of Rajivika and MNREGA working under the rural development as well as panchayati raj departments; 5,697 madrassa para-teachers of the minority welfare department; and 44,833 contractual workers of the medical and health departments and the medical education department.
