Panaji: Aldona Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira on Monday hit out against the government’s Daily Wages Grant of Temporary Status Scheme, calling it a deliberate “fraud” on thousands of workers.
Raising the matter during the Budget discussion, Ferreira said the scheme did not address the issue of regularisation of employees who had been serving on daily wages or contract basis for several years.
“The government had announced last year that employees who had completed seven years of service would be regularised. However, the introduction of the ‘Daily Wages Grant of Temporary Status’ Scheme has created uncertainty about the government’s earlier assurance,” he said.
Ferreira said the scheme contained provisions stating that employees would continue to remain on contract and that there would be no finality to their tenure. He said the clauses also allowed for termination of employment.
“When you give assurances, you cannot insert clauses stating they will still remain on contract, that there will be no finality to their tenure, and that they can be sent home,” he said.
He also referred to the Supreme Court judgement in Dharam Singh and Others versus State of Uttar Pradesh (2025) and said the ruling should be followed while framing policies concerning contractual employees.
Bicholim Independent MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye also raised the issue during the discussion and sought clarity on the scope of the proposed regularisation. Referring to the Chief Minister’s statement that contractual employees with 10 years of service in government would be regularised, Shetye said there was a need to clarify whether the decision would apply to employees working in autonomous and semi-government bodies.
“What about those staff working in Goa University, corporations, the Employment Recruitment Society, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan?” Shetye said. “The Chief Minister must come clear on this aspect,” Shetye said, adding that employees working in such institutions were seeking clarity.
