26,000 employees to benefit as Punjab clears Bill to bring outsourced workers under government contract

The Punjab Legislative Assembly recently approved a significant bill that will bring 26,000 to 28,000 outsourced employees under direct government contracts. This move will provide the workers with access to crucial benefits such as provident fund, gratuity, maternity leave, and additional casual leave days. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema proposed the Punjab State Outsourced Personnel (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Bill, 2026, which categorizes outsourced personnel into two groups: those in hazardous jobs and those in non-hazardous positions.

Hazardous workers, including sanitation and electricity pole maintenance staff, must serve for three years to transition to contractual status, while others need to serve for five years. The legislation aims to address long-standing issues of worker exploitation by ensuring job security, equal pay, and access to essential benefits like ESI and maternity leave.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann emphasized that the bill eliminates the exploitative practices of outsourcing agencies, which often withheld promised salaries and imposed additional burdens on workers without providing any productive investment. Once implemented, 26,000 to 28,000 outsourced employees will immediately benefit from these changes, marking a historic step towards improving the welfare and rights of government employees in Punjab.