In a gathering of CPM-backed state government employees’ union Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said his government has decided to regularise all contractual staff employed during the financial crisis the state was facing for the last seven years.

Since 2001, around 20,000 people were employed on contractual basis. The chief minister said, “The cabinet on Wednesday decided to regularise the services of these employees. I have asked Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta to take steps for this.”

Sources in the government said most of these contractual employees were employed from time to time directly by the local authorities (from block level to district level) without any proper selection process or competitive examinations. “As the government has decided to regularise them, a legal question may arise on the its hiring procedure. The state cannot deprive lakhs of job seekers who prefers to join government services through a proper selection process,” said a senior officer, home (P&AR) department.

Bhattacharjee said: “We had appointed them on contract basis due to the severe financial crisis. Now, I can say, that we have overcome the crisis partly. We have no problem in regularising them.”