Employees working on contract service in government bodies will get continuity in their jobs immediately. The contract period of all employees working on contract ended in mid-Ashad. However, the Council of Ministers has decided that they will be allowed to report to their respective offices from 1st Shrawan.

Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration Madan Bhujel has said that the jobs of contract employees will continue until further decision. He informed Kantipur that it has been decided not to remove employees working on contract and that a task force will be formed to study their proper management. The contract employees had protested demanding continuation of their jobs and appropriate gratuity in the event of retirement.

Thursday's Council of Ministers meeting has decided to approve the arrangements related to the management of employees working on service contracts. The Council of Ministers has decided on the immediate management of employees working on contract as per the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration. Secretary Bhujel said that the contract employees will be managed as best as possible. "When the ministry is merged, the posts of employees from the secretary to below will be reduced. Naturally, the posts held on contract will also be reduced," he said. "Contract employees who have been reduced in such posts will be managed in other ministries or new places as much as possible."

Preparations are underway to dismiss employees who have completed 58 years of age or are receiving service facilities from elsewhere. The Ministry of General Administration had submitted a proposal to the Council of Ministers, which included seven issues for the immediate management of contract employees, after receiving approval from the Ministry of Finance. According to ministry sources, the proposal has been made to extend the contract period of contract employees for the next three months and manage them properly during this period. The task force will study the issues of service facilities, working conditions, etc. when hiring or sending them on leave and submit a report within a month. Accordingly, the government will take further decisions regarding contract employees in the coming days.

There is no separate law regarding hiring employees on contract and their service conditions. Employees are recruited on contract as per the Public Procurement Act. The task force will make necessary recommendations on the service, conditions, leave, social security and other issues of existing and newly recruited contract employees. While the government is making it mandatory for the private sector to join the Social Security Fund, contract employees working in government agencies have not been taken to the Social Security Fund. A ministry source said, "The task force will study all such issues and make necessary recommendations."

The talks held on Wednesday between the Prime Minister's Policy, Administration and Good Governance Advisor Sudip Dhakal and contract employees reached a positive conclusion. After the talks, the employees postponed their protest programs.