10
Aug
Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In a historic decision for the welfare and rights of employees, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the Punjab State Outsourced Personnel (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Bill, 2026, with CM Bhagwant Singh Mann announcing an end to the decades-old system of contractual outsourcing and exploitation of employees in government employment. The landmark legislation will eliminate the role of private contractors, bring 26,000 to 28,000 outsourced employees into direct contractual engagement with the government in the first phase, and extend PF (Provident Fund), Gratuity, ESI (Employees’ State Insurance), Maternity Leave and Casual Leave benefits to eligible…