Unheeding plans to do away with ad hoc staff, transport dept goes ahead with outsourcing

On Thursday, transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar handed over appointment letters to as many as 25 drivers and conductors recruited by Pepsu road transport corporation (PRTC), which is to recruit at least 300 offshore employees.

At a time when the state government is planning to do away with ad hoc appointments and outsourcing, the state transport department continues to hire employees through outsourcing.

In 2014, as many as 625 employees were terminated from service by SAD-BJP government after they struck work. (HT Photo)

On Thursday, transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar handed over appointment letters to as many as 25 drivers and conductors recruited by Pepsu road transport corporation (PRTC), which is to recruit at least 300 offshore employees.

In 2014, as many as 625 employees were terminated from service by SAD-BJP government after they struck work.

It may be mentioned that the contractual employees working with the PRTC are already seeking regularisation for the past three years, but their demand is yet to be met.

After coming to power, chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced regularisation of 35,000 contractual and outsourced employees working in various departments.

One of the officials said the contractual employees had suspended bus operations in Punjab in the past six months on multiple occasions.

“Now, the AAP government is continuing the trend of appointing drivers and conductors through outsourcing,” an official said.

Meanwhile, the transport minister said the government is yet to finalise the criteria for appointments in government departments.

“Our party promised regular services to the Punjab youth, but till the time the recruitment criterion is finalised, it is better to hire staff on contractual and ad hoc basis,” Bhullar said.

PRTC managing director Parneet Shergill said they are just re-appointing the employees whose services were terminated in 2014 due to the strike.

“These employees moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which directed us to prioritise them while making fresh recruitments. Since we have received a new lot of buses, we have re-appointed these employees,” she said.

The MD added that out of 625 employees, only 300 employees have given an undertaking to rejoin the service through outsourcing.