Bihar decides to apply reservation formula in engaging outsourced employees

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar at the main secretariat in Patna on Wednesday.

The Bihar government will henceforth follow its reservation policy while engaging professionals and other employees through outsourcing agencies.

The Patna main secretariat. (File photo)

A decision to this effect was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar here on Wednesday. A total of 10 items on the agenda were approved by the cabinet.

In the absence of technical manpower on its rolls, the state government engages technical staff, mostly dealing in information technology (IT)-based operations, through outsourced agencies. Thousands of IT professionals have been engaged by the state government and the district administrations to run IT operations including Beltron and skill development centres.

Besides, a number of drivers and office maintenance staff have also been supplied by the outsourcing agencies in different departments.

Sources said the new policy would make the private outsourcing agencies recruit manpower based on the reservation policy of the state government if they want to work with the state agencies. Apart from 50% caste-based reservation, the prevalent policy stipulates 35% vertical reservation for women.

Briefing newspersons after the meeting, principal secretary of cabinet secretariat department Brijesh Mehrotra said the cabinet also sanctioned 70 teaching and 72 non-teaching posts for two polytechnic institutions being established in West Champaran and Aurangabad districts.

Besides, the cabinet gave its nod to transfer of 40 gazetted posts of teachers and 16 non-gazetted posts of non-teaching staff of six polytechnics, from scheme to the committed expenditure section of the budget.

The cabinet also approved the revised technical estimate for establishment of training centres at eight battalions of Bihar Military Police for newly recruited 8000 constables including women. The training centres with capacity to train 1000 persons will be set up at BMP units at Dehri-On-Sone, Bodh Gaya, Dumraonn, Katihar, Jamalpur, Simultala, Birpur and Darbhaga.

A sum of Rs 150 crore would be spent on it, said Mehrotra.