Ajit Pawar demands withdrawal of GR on contractual hiring

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar on Wednesday demanded that the government withdraw a Government Resolution (GR) or order about recruitment on a contractual basis.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said it was the right decision, and also pointed out that it had been taken by the previous MVA government of which Pawar was a part.

He also said that contractual hiring would be done for only certain specific projects.

Speaking in the Assembly, Pawar said the hiring of government employees on a contractual basis puts a question mark on secrecy which government employees are supposed to maintain in certain official matters.

Also, some contractually hired employees end up getting more salary than the state's chief secretary, said the Nationalist Congress Party leader.

The GR, issued on Tuesday, states that recruitment in the industries, energy and labour departments will be done on a contractual basis through private agencies, Pawar said.

He also questioned the timing of the GR, saying that when government employees are agitating for the Old Pension Scheme, the government has decided to hire people on a contractual basis.

In reply, Fadnavis said the decision about hiring people in this manner was taken and the tender was issued during the MVA regime, and his government was implementing it because it was the right decision.

The GR was only about certain specific projects, he added.