Maharashtra government’s medical education department to outsource recruitment of 6,830 officers

Maharashtra govt outsources recruitment for 6,830 medical education posts to private agencies before state polls. Savings of 20-30% expected.

Mumbai: In a controversial move, the Maharashtra government’s medical education department has outsourced the hiring process for 6,830 posts to private recruitment agencies. The government aims to start the process before the model code of conduct comes into effect for the state assembly polls, expected to be held in October-November.

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Last year, the Mahayuti government’s decision to allow the labour department to outsource the recruitment of around 75,000 officers of classes 1-3 (highly skilled, skilled and semi-skilled) on a contractual basis to nine private agencies had sparked a row. The gazetted officers’ union and the opposition parties had objected to the move, saying it suggests the Mahayuti has no intention of fulfilling its promise to fill 75,000 government posts with permanent employees.

The government later clarified that the contractual hiring was only for temporary posts and that regular recruitment drives would continue. Eventually, in October 2023, it cancelled the empanelment of the private agencies. Nine months later, though, the government has again authorised the outsourcing of recruitment.

“The approval has been given to appoint an agency for the recruitment of 6,830 posts of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled employees in 59 government-run medical, ayurvedic and homoeopathy colleges through outsourcing,” stated an order issued by the medical education department on July 12. A private recruitment agency will be responsible for compliance with statutory liabilities like provident fund, gratuity, and bonus.

According to the order, the recruitment for 1,730 class 3 (semi-skilled) and 5,100 class 4 (unskilled) posts will be outsourced. These include lab technicians, operation theatre assistants, medical social workers, office superintendents, clerks, drivers, security guards, lift operators, and data entry operators, among others. The order also states that there should be a minimum of 20%-30% savings on expenditure, including salaries, while hiring for these contractual posts compared with what the government spends on direct recruitment.

Dinesh Waghmare, principal secretary of the medical education department, said there is a difference between last year’s decision and this year’s. “Earlier, it was mandatory to appoint the agency from selected empanelled agencies. Now, any agency that fulfils the eligibility criteria can fill the tender. The government has designated powers to the concerned departments to start the process to appoint agencies for recruitment through outsourcing. Most of the posts in these 6,830 appointments would be in new colleges. We are soon going to float the tender and finalise the process before the code of conduct to ensure the recruitment starts.”