They may be coy admitting to it, but shortage of manpower has finally got the state government looking outward to keep the administrative machinery running.
The state cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to a proposal to outsource recruitment in six sectors -- health, design and engineering, education, clerical work, security/sanitation and social sector -- for which 32 firms have been shortlisted. This is according to the recommendations made by the Manpower Outsourcing Consultancy Evaluation Committee constituted in February which was formed to look into the responses given by the firms and select the ones who may be given the jobs. The cabinet approved the proposal but said that the firms would have to be approved by the respective departments for whom they hire.
The committee comprised the principal secretaries of health, finance, law justice and legislative affairs, secretary (services) and secretary (education). ``Regular recruitment at times takes more than a year. In the interim, these firms will sort applications, interview people and give us a shortlist from which we will appoint people in vacant posts,'' an official said.
According to sources in the services department which moved the note, departments on their own can hand out work for which not more than Rs 10 lakh is charged by the firm (empanelled by the government) and the period of contract of those who have been shortlisted by the firm would either be one year or till the time regular recruitment is made - whichever is earlier. For any work that costs above Rs 10 lakh, the department would need to invite open tenders.
``Drawing up of classified documents like cabinet notes, taking policy decisions and looking at proposals would of course remain the prerogative of government officials but the work of the support staff may be outsourced to ensure that in the period between a person leaving/retiring and fresh recruitment, the work is not hampered,'' explained an official.
Of the 32 firms, ten each have been listed for working in the health sector, for providing design and engineering services and for education related services, 21 have been listed for clerical/stenographers' work, 16 for security/sanitation work and 13 in the social sector. Clarified an official: ``The firms had not specified any area of interest but have been enlisted on the basis of work experience documents that they had attached so that one firm may be listed for more than one type of work.'' Though education has been listed as one the sectors, it will be non-teaching jobs that will outsourced.``The education department will retain the sole authority to hire teachers,'' an official said.
Source: Times Of India, 19/04/2008
