New Delhi: The Delhi government has now regularised 700 of the Delhi Jal Board's contractual employees, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday as he handed over the certificates to them in an event to mark the occasion.
"This is a landmark step taken by the Delhi government; this mass regularisation is the first in the country," he said, adding that the move will hopefully compel other states to approve similar proposals.
The notion that once employees are regularised, they become lazy and complacent is a baseless hoax, the CM said. "All 700 regularised employees will work twice as hard now that they have a sense of security. We have busted the myth that regular employees do not deliver well on their duties," he added.
Now that the employees have been regularised, their unsettled minds will be at ease, and they will not be on the lookout for another job, due to which they'll perform better. "I hope and pray with all my heart that such regularisation takes place in every department of the Delhi government," the CM added.
He pointed out that since DJB is an autonomous body, the state government could make the employees permanent. However, with other departments, the Central government has the final word over the state government. "We will make consistent efforts and negotiate with the Central government to ensure more employees in other Delhi government departments are regularised," he added.
All the employees who have been regularised will enjoy benefits like medical facilities, government accommodation, leave benefits and terminal dues like gratuity and NPS. They will receive their arrears from 2019, therefore, will get a significant financial benefit.
"Their salary is being almost doubled, and they will now avail DA facilities, annual increments, children education allowance, paternity leave, maternity leave and the like," the government said in a statement.
The Chief Minister also said that the entire country is of the opinion that governments are incapable of running schools and hospitals effectively while his party-led government has proven that it can run both schools and hospitals successfully.
"We came into power and proved that if the government is strong-willed and honest, it can run both schools and hospitals successfully and efficiently. If a government fails to deliver the bare minimum, which is running schools and hospitals, then it should resign," he said.