The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday decided to regularise 65,048 outsourced employees from 51 departments, paving the way for ending the role of private contractors in manpower hiring and bringing outsourced workers under the government umbrella.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, “The government will first engage outsourced workers on contract for 10 years, after which they will be considered for absorption against regular sanctioned posts.”
The move will be implemented through the Punjab State Outsourced Personnel (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Bill, 2026, and the Punjab Contractual Personnel (Absorption Against Sanctioned Vacancies) Bill, 2026. More than 26,000 workers are expected to feature in the first list of beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister said the implementation process would begin within 45 days of Cabinet approval and eligible categories would be notified in phases by the Departments of Personnel and Finance. The Bills would be introduced during the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha.
The move is expected to end outsourcing of Group C and D employees, many of whom have repeatedly complained of exploitation by contractors. Workers have alleged wage suppression, job insecurity, denial of benefits such as medical leave and pensions, and delays in salary payments. Future recruitment for such positions will be carried out through direct government processes.
Among those eligible, employees engaged in high-risk duties such as fire services and sewer operations must have completed at least three years of service. Other employees must have completed five years of service to avail the benefit.
The beneficiaries include 15,753 complaint-handling workers in the power sector, meter readers and nodal workers; 8,438 local government employees; 8,373 workers from cooperative institutions; 7,704 workers in school education; 4,746 workers in the transport department; and 1,472 outsourced fire personnel.
The list also includes 2,688 employees from Health and Family Welfare, 1,575 from Water Supply and Sanitation, 1,533 from Agriculture, 1,311 from Jails, 1,251 from Technical Education, 1,570 from PWD (B&R), 1,322 from General Administration and 1,231 from Medical Education.
Mann said, “Wages will be credited directly into employees’ bank accounts without any agency deductions or commissions. Employees will receive statutory maternity benefits and 10 days of casual leave every calendar year. No worker will be removed from service without reasons being recorded in writing and without being given an opportunity to defend themselves.”
