Himachal assembly seeks policy to protect outsourced workers

The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly held discussions on Saturday regarding a new policy to protect outsourced workers and address drug abuse in the state. BJP legislator Sukh Ram Chaudhary raised concerns about harassment and job insecurity faced by these workers. He mentioned that many who helped during the Covid pandemic were later dismissed by the current Congress government. Chaudhary suggested adopting a policy similar to Haryana's to improve conditions for outsourced employees. He highlighted issues like political favoritism in hiring and delayed salary payments. Congress MLA Kishori Lal responded by stating that the state government will create its own policy and noted a salary increase for outsourced workers in the 2025-26 budget. BJP leaders pointed out the struggles of educated youth working as outsourced employees, making it difficult for families to survive on low salaries. They also expressed concern over the high unemployment rate in the state, which could lead to increased criminal activities. In another resolution, Congress MLA Kewal Singh Pathania called for a drug prevention policy due to rising drug-related incidents in the state. He criticized senior police officials for their lack of response following a recent incident where a police officer was injured while helping during a shooting event. The assembly also discussed environmental issues. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri acknowledged the decline in glaciers and increasing reliance on irrigation for farmers. He mentioned a detailed project report for climate-resilient water delivery systems that has been sent to the central government for funding. Education Minister Rohit Thakur highlighted improvements in the pupil-teacher ratio in government schools, now at 1:11, the highest in India. He noted that the number of students is decreasing while maintaining the same number of schools. Furthermore, Agnihotri addressed recent vandalism of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses in Punjab despite assurances of security. An FIR has been filed, and the state government is reviewing bus operations for safety. Regarding employee pensions, Agnihotri stated that the state has requested the return of a pending amount from the National Pension Scheme, which affects many employees who switched to the Old Pension Scheme. He also announced support for local singers at festivals, ensuring they perform and receive adequate payment. Lastly, the assembly discussed the need for a thorough investigation into the death of an HPPCL official, with a call for a CBI probe, which the government assured would be transparent.