PNS | Vijayawada
In a significant leap towards employment stability and workers’ rights, Andhra Pradesh has witnessed a significant stride as the State government passed a pivotal Bill regulating the services of contract employees on Wednesday. State Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, while passing the AP Regularisation of Services of Contract Employees Bill, said that this groundbreaking Bill was a testament to the government’s commitment to formalise and regularise the services of all contract employees who commenced their roles on or before June 2, 2014, meticulously following stipulated norms and guidelines in a most transparent manner.
Underscoring CM Jagan’s proactive steps for the betterment of contract employees, the Finance Minister remarked, “Even though the expert committee constituted by the government in their recommendations suggested to implement a 10-15 year time period for the regularisation of the contract workers services, CM Jagan decided to waive off the time period and ensured that the services of the all the contract workers be regularised to maximise the benefit to contract workers in the State.”
The Finance Minister further stated that a whopping 3 lakh employees benefited from the pro-employee welfare initiatives implemented by the YSRCP government in the past four years. This include the merging of APSRTC corporation into the government which benefitted nearly 53,000 APSRTC employees and the recruitment of nearly 1.35 lakh employees in ward and village secretariats, 53,126 employees in the health sector and 411 SI and RSI posts and 6,100 constables in the Police Department.
He also stated that the government, after carefully reviewing the previous salaries of Asha workers, Anganwadi workers, sanitation workers, and those who were getting a meagre pay, had given a maximum salary hike to ensure that the increased salaries would be sufficient for the employees to run their households without any difficulties.
The State government also passed a GPS Bill in the Assembly. While passing the Bill, Minister Bugganas said, “The implementation of GPS will bring about an additional financial commitment of Rs 2,500 crore. However, this decision has been carefully deliberated, considering the existing pension schemes and aiming to enhance employee welfare.” He also mentioned that the decision had been taken without any haste as compared to the previous government.
