We Didn’t Start The Fire: Fadnavis On Contractual Recruitments

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis literally spewed fire on Friday while lambasting the opposition on its criticism of purported contractual appointments being planned by the state government. After announcing the cancellation of the government resolution (GR) at a media interaction, he said that the tradition of contractual appointments was kickstarted by the Sushilkumar Shinde government.

"The Sushilkumar Shinde government facilitated contractual recruitments in the education department. Later, during the tenure of Ashok Chavan, three GRs were issued for recruitments of teachers. During the tenure of Prithviraj Chavan, again three GRs were issued," said Fadnavis, holding up GR from Uddhav Thackeray's tenure.

"it's only now under current dispensation the rates for facility managers have been brought down"

Fadnavis said that it's only now under the current dispensation that the rates for facility managers have been brought down. Facility managers are middle-men (institutions) who facilitate contractual appointments in the state government.

"Facility managers were empanelled in 2014, and the Thackeray government accepted it as a policy and decided to go in for a tender. Uddhav Thackeray has approved it; his signatures are there," said Fadnavis, adding that when the BJP-Shiv Sena government took over, the issue came up before the cabinet.

Fadnavis said, "I intervened and made them bring down the rates, which were around 25-30% higher. However, when we moved forward, the three opposition parties created an illusion as if we had brought in the tender process."

Fadnavis said the first GR regarding contractual recruitments (education department) came on March 13, 2003 during the Congress NCP government. During Ashok Chavan’s tenure, posts of drivers, data entry operators and clerks were released. During his next tenure, 6,000 posts were filled through contractual employment, Fadnavis said. On January 14, 2011, the next contractual recruitment took place during Prithviraj Chavan’s tenure.

"They are to blame for the issue and yet they have started an agitation targeting us"

The date for a similar GR during Thackeray’s tenure was June 15, 2020 and it was cleared on September 1, 2021. Fadnavis said, "It was Uddhav Thackeray's government that appointed contractors for 15 years with the blessings of Sharad Pawar. They are to blame for the issue and yet they have started an agitation targeting us."

Further clarifying, Fadnavis said no contractual recruitment is being done in the Mumbai police force. Regular recruitment of 18,331 personnel has been initiated, of which 7,076 are police constables and 994 are drivers. "Even after appointment letters are given to candidates, they have to undergo a yearlong training. The force can’t be kept waiting. Hence, from the state owned security corporation, 3,000 personnel are being loaned. Yet attempts are being made to create unease among the youth of the state," Fadnavis said.