Nod to regularise 214 contract, daily-wage staff at Ernakulam medical college
KOCHI: The state cabinet on Tuesday decided to regularise 214 contract and daily-wage employees working at Government Medical College, Kalamassery, bringing relief to workers who have been in uncertainty for years after the institution was taken over by the state government.
The employees will be absorbed into posts created earlier for contract and daily-wage staff when the government took over the Kochi Cooperative Medical College from the cooperative sector. In 2016, the government had created 315 posts to accommodate such employees, many of whom had been working continuously since 2013 without service breaks.
“It is heartening that the government could bring relief to employees who had been facing uncertainty for years since the medical college was taken over,” Industries Minister P Rajeeve said.
The decision follows a series of legal proceedings related to the appointments. Earlier, the Kerala Administrative Tribunal had allowed a plea filed by two contract employees seeking regularisation. Subsequently, the Supreme Court directed that their appointments be regularised after fixing seniority.
Based on the court orders, 39 temporary employees had already been regularised. The cabinet has now cleared the regularisation of the remaining 214 workers.
Their seniority and pension benefits will be determined in accordance with the dates specified in the Supreme Court order.