The state president of the teachers' associations coordination forum, Vonteru Srinivasulu Reddy, has called upon the Andhra Pradesh government to immediately end the long-standing contract and outsourcing employment system and regularise all such employees, following the example set by the Punjab government. Speaking to the media in Vijayawada on Sunday, Reddy praised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for terminating the contract employment system and approving the regularisation of 65,048 contract and outsourcing workers employed across 51 government departments.
Punjab's Revolutionary Step
Reddy described the Punjab government's move to directly absorb Group-C and Group-D outsourcing employees who have completed five years of service into regular government service through the Punjab Outsourced Personnel Bill, 2026, as a revolutionary step. He recalled similar measures taken by the Odisha government in the past and noted that several states have already moved towards regularising contract employees. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had earlier observed that the contract employment system should not continue in the public sector.
Exploitation of Contract Workers
Srinivasulu Reddy highlighted that contract and outsourcing employees have faced exploitation for years, working for meagre salaries without job security despite rendering valuable services to government departments. He stressed that the time had come to end this practice and provide dignity and stability to thousands of workers. He urged the state government not to delay the matter further and to take an immediate decision that would bring relief and improve the lives of contract and outsourcing employees across the state.
“The government should act without procrastination and take steps to regularise all eligible contract and outsourcing employees, thereby bringing light into the lives of thousands of families dependent on these jobs,” he said.
