Govt mulling recruitment policy for Group B, C staff

With the aim to ensure efficiency and accountability in the state employees, the Uttar Pradesh government is mulling a proposal to bring major changes in the terms of employment for the Group  B and Group C employees.

The employees will initially be recruited on contract for five years. These contractual employees would not get allowances and other benefits like the permanent employees and their wages would be  fixed by the government.

After five years, rigorous appraisal of their performance will be done and only those who meet the minimum performance standard will be retained and their services will be regularised while the services of the rest will be terminated.

No allowances and other social security and labour benefits will be given during five years to those recruited on contract.

The Department of Personnel has initiated the consultation process with the other stakeholders and the proposal is likely to be placed soon before the cabinet.

“Even during the five-year contractual period, the employees will have to pass through critical scrutiny and they will have to get at least 60 per cent marks on different aspects. If they pass the tests during all the five years with first division, they will be considered for permanent job,” sources said.

The six-monthly assessments of the employees would be done by a committee at the department level. The assessment will be made on measurable key performance indicator (MKPI) which will include attendance and timely performance of work, discipline, patriotism and morality. Every six months, the report of the employees will be assessed and if after one year an employee is not found up to the mark then, he/she will be shown the door.

Official sources, however, said the proposal was at the initial stage and the government had asked all departments to give their opinion on the new policy of recruitment.

The opposition parties and trade unions have indicated that they would oppose the proposal. The official sources however clarified that the proposal was in a primary stage and no decision had been taken yet.

The sources, however, indicated that the government had already prepared a proposal and it could be placed before the state cabinet.

An ordinance is likely to be approved to introduce this new system.

The officers selected through the PCS (executive), PPS and PCS (Judicial) exams would not be covered by the new recruitment policy.

The dependants of the deceased state employees who get jobs on compassionate ground will also have to pass through such tests and they too will be employed on contractual basis.

At present there are around nine lakh Group B and Group C employees in the state.