Raj Bhavan approved the amendment bill.
Now in Himachal Pradesh, contract employees will not get seniority and financial benefits during the contract service period. Now these employees will get the financial benefits of seniority only after being regularized. The way has been cleared for this. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has approved the Himachal Pradesh Government Employees Recruitment and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2024. After getting approval from the Raj Bhavan, the Law Department has also issued its notification. In such a situation, this system will be considered applicable from December 12, 2003. With this, the employees will get the benefit of seniority after being regularized after this period.
Let us tell you that the Himachal Pradesh Government Employees Recruitment and Conditions of Service Amendment Bill 2024 was brought during the winter session in Dharamshala. This bill was passed in the Assembly amid opposition from the opposition. After which this amendment bill has been sent to the Raj Bhavan for approval. From where the amendment bill has been approved and has come into effect with immediate effect after the notification of the Law Department. The government has made important changes related to the employees through the amended bill. In which now the contract employees will not get seniority and financial benefits from the date of appointment. In such a situation, now these employees will get the financial benefits of seniority only after being regularized.
A total of four bills were placed in the House on the first day of the winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly held in Tapovan, Dharamshala. In which CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also placed the ‘Himachal Pradesh Government Employees Recruitment and Conditions of Service Bill, 2024’ on the table of the House. In this bill, there was talk of an amendment on the points related to the regularization of government employees appointed on a contract basis and an amendment in the seniority list. In which it was said that the employees appointed on a contract basis who have not been regularized, will not get an increment related to seniority. That is, only regular employees will be within the purview of recruitment and promotion rules.
It is noteworthy that the Himachal Pradesh High Court has, from time to time, issued orders to count the contract period in regular service and to provide financial benefits. This was putting a heavy financial burden on the government Treasury. The process of appointment on contract was started in Himachal Pradesh in the year 2003. The government argues that if this gap of 21 years is also counted for financial benefits and promotions, etc. then the financial burden will become very high.
