Maharashtra Cancels Contractual Recruitment Amid Political Pressure, Fadnavis Demands Apology from Congress and NCP for Initial Contract Recruitment Policy
Mumbai, 21st October 2023: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis yesterday announced that the Maharashtra government has revoked its policy on contractual recruitment across various sectors. This decision comes amid criticism from political opponents and widespread public dissatisfaction. However, Fadnavis clarified that department-wise temporary recruitment would continue.
Fadnavis attributed the contentious policy of contractual recruitment to the previous regimes, specifically pointing fingers at the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. “Our government has only abolished the sin of contract recruitment, which was initiated by the Congress-NCP alliance and perpetuated by Thackeray’s government,” Fadnavis stated.
Initially, to alleviate financial strain on the state exchequer, the government had opted to fill 74 posts across a range of job roles—ranging from project officers and consultants to teachers and engineers—on a contractual basis. Nine organizations, including ‘Accent Tech Services Ltd.’ and ‘CMS IT Services Ltd.,’ were selected to execute this five-year-long plan.
The contract recruitment policy had triggered protests and agitation across Maharashtra. The state government ultimately decided to revoke the policy amidst state-wide protests led by the opposition and independent parties. Fadnavis demanded an apology from the Congress-NCP alliance and the Thackeray group for introducing the policy in the first place.
In a counter-statement, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan refuted Fadnavis’ claims. Chavan asserted that there had never been any contract recruitment for executive posts during the tenure of the Congress coalition government in Maharashtra.
The state government’s U-turn on contract recruitment has underscored the influence of political parties, student organizations, and public opinion on governance. While the immediate policy has been rolled back, department-wise recruitment for temporary roles will persist, leaving a lasting impact on Maharashtra’s employment landscape.
