Govt to ensure job security for 1.20 lakh contractual employees

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8

With an eye on the upcoming Assembly polls, the Haryana Government today took two major populist decisions, benefiting lakhs of contractual government employees and farmers.

A meeting of the Cabinet held under Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini here approved the Haryana Contractual Employees (Security of Tenure) Ordinance, 2024, ensuring job security to around 1.20 lakh contractual employees. These include those working under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) till the age of superannuation.

Saini’s ‘sop opera’

The ~2,000 bonus will cost state exchequer ~1,300 crore

The subsidy on LPG cylinder at the rate of ~500 will cost ~1,457 crore

Quota for BC-B in PRIs, BCs gets Cabinet nod

To benefit farmers, the Cabinet also decided to pay farmers a one-time bonus of Rs 2,000 per acre for all kharif and horticulture crops. This is set to cost the state exchequer about Rs 1,300 crore. The first instalment of the bonus will be paid by August 15. The bonus is being given to the farmers to offset increase in input costs, Saini said.

The contractual employees, who have completed five years of service by August 15, 2024, will be eligible for the new scheme. They will receive a basic salary, dearness allowance (DA) instalment twice a year, annual increment and death-cum-retirement gratuity benefits, maternity and health benefits.

However, employees earning over Rs 50,000 per month and those working under centrally sponsored schemes will not be eligible. The guest teachers will also receive above benefits.

LPG cylinder for ~500

In another decision, the Cabinet decided that the registered BPL families of Haryana would be provided up to 12 LPG cylinder refills per annum at the rate of Rs 500 per cylinder. The government will bear the expenditure of Rs 1,457 crore to benefit the BPL families. The scheme will be effective from August 1, 2024.

Quota for BC-B

With a view to give proportionate reservation to persons belonging to the Backward Classes ’B’ in the Panchayati Raj Institutions as per the recommendations of the Haryana Backward Classes Commission, the Cabinet approved the proposal to amend Sections 9, 59 and 120 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

The meeting also approved amendments to the Municipal Act, 1973 with regard to the reservation of seats for Backward Classes ‘B’ for contesting the elections in the municipalities.

Plea for SC panel

The Cabinet decided to request the Haryana Scheduled Caste Commission to study the data and send its recommendations on the basis of the recent decision of the Supreme Court regarding classification of reservation for the Scheduled Castes in jobs.

Pension for journalists

The Cabinet also approved amendments to the pension scheme for accredited mediapersons aged above 60 years. The key amendments are deletion of condition stipulating the discontinuation of pension in the event of criminal case being registered against the beneficiary and discontinuation of pension if his conduct is found to be in violation of journalism ethics. Besides, the restriction of granting pension to only one member per family has also been deleted.

Amendment to societies rules

The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Haryana Registration and Regulations of Societies Rules, 2012, by extending the time limit for existing societies to obtain new registration numbers.