Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a stern view of large-scale outsourcing recruitments in various government departments, boards and corporations, observing that regular posts were allegedly being filled through “backdoor entries”, leading to exploitation of unemployed youth.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi directed the Health Secretary and Principal Secretary (Finance) to appear personally before the court on June 16.
The court was hearing a matter related to outsourcing appointments across the state. During the proceedings, the Finance Department informed the court through an affidavit filed by Special Secretary Saurabh Jassal that the data related to outsourced employees was extensive and not centrally available, due to which compiling information was taking time.
Expressing dissatisfaction, the court questioned how the government lacked complete records despite a 2017 policy mandating Finance Department approval for outsourcing appointments. The bench remarked that policy decisions were being taken without practical data, calling it a “wrong practice”.
According to figures placed before the court, 17,114 employees are currently working on an outsourced basis in 42 government institutions across the state, including the High Court, Judicial Academy and Advocate General’s office.
The highest number of outsourced employees — 2,578 — are engaged in the Directorate of Medical Education and Research. Other departments include Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board with 1,473 outsourced workers, the Agriculture Department with 803, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University with 793, Rural Development Department with 632, Director General of Police office with 630 and Jal Shakti Department with 542 outsourced staff.
The court also flagged the shortage of staff nurses in the Health Department, noting that while 750 posts were vacant as of July 31, 2024, only 28 regular vacancies were advertised in December 2025. The bench questioned why the remaining posts had not been filled through regular recruitment.
During the hearing, the court observed that individuals were allegedly first appointed through outsourcing and later attempts were made to regularise them through Rogi Kalyan Samitis, describing the process as a planned “backdoor entry” mechanism.
Petitioners have sought an SIT probe under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge into 110 alleged fake outsourcing agencies. The High Court observed that prima facie, providing jobs to over 17,000 people without a transparent process and benefiting outsourcing agencies raised serious concerns.
