Reserve contractual jobs for SCs: Govt

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20

The state government today issued directions to all departments to give reservation/representation to Scheduled Castes/Backward Classes being hired by the departments on direct or indirect contract through contractors or other intermediaries.

Cautioning all departments, commissioners of the division, deputy commissioner for strict compliance of the Punjab Schedule Casts & Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006, Gulzar Ranike, Welfare Minister, said, “It has been noticed that many departments and their respective corporations, boards, autonomous institutions, universities, societies, companies, commissions and miscellaneous government bodies were not giving due representation/reservations to the SC and the BC communities in category of the person being hired through direct contract (through contractors and other intermediaries etc.).

He said a letter had been issued by the Welfare Department and clarified that the prime employer of the government organisations, etc., were responsible to ensure that the representation of SC/BC persons are done in line with the provisions of the Punjab SC/BC Act, 2006.

The percentage of reservations provided in the Act, has to be applied in the case of so called “outsourced” (indirect contract) categories also. He said merely making an intermediary stand, in between, prime employer (government organisations, etc.,) and the persons hired to do the government job, does not absolve the prime employer, of its responsibility to see that Constitutional provisions and provision under the relevant Acts, rules, instructions, meant for the purpose are implemented.

He further said according to the Section-4(7) of The Punjab Schedule Casts & Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006, reservation should be applicable to the vacancies to be filled on ad hoc basis, short-term vacancies, work change establishment, daily wages staff and the staff engaged on contract basis.