Launch of UPCOS
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday attended the launch event of the Uttar Pradesh Outsourced Services Corporation (UPCOS) portal and website in Lucknow, as reported by ANI. The initiative is a state-level, non-profit organisation that aims to regulate and safeguard the rights of outsourced workers. According to the same report, UPCOS promotes transparent hiring, guarantees timely direct salary payments, and provides social security benefits such as EPF/ESI. During the event, the logo for the initiative was unveiled, and checks were distributed to outsourced employees.
The launch was also announced on social media. Lokmat Times reported that the Chief Minister took to X and said, "Transparency through technology, security through system and respect for the labour of every employee, this is the new identity of New Uttar Pradesh." The Uttar Pradesh government has also constituted an outsourcing commission as part of its efforts to streamline the system and strengthen safeguards for outsourced employees across departments, according to Lokmat Times.
Chief Minister's Remarks
At the launch event, the Chief Minister accused previous governments of undermining outsourced workers. As quoted by ANI, he said: "Governments prior to 2017 considered outsourced employees a burden; that is why the outsourced companies they had engaged belonged to their own party-affiliated relatives. They exploited workers in the name of recruitment and uniforms. We have not considered them a burden; we have considered them an asset to the state." He further asserted that the state's development journey under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership has been made possible by the contribution of workers across sectors, whether permanent or outsourced.
Government Measures and Budgetary Provisions
The Chief Minister's Office, in a statement reported by Lokmat Times, said that further measures would soon be taken to ensure that every outsourcing worker receives a minimum honorarium along with guaranteed access to various forms of social security. The government has also made budgetary provisions to facilitate the implementation of these measures. Additionally, according to the same source, the government has made provision of funds in the budget for the incentive and increase in honorarium of Anganwadi, Asha workers, cooks, village watchmen and Kotedars.
Transport Corporation Honorarium Increase
In August, the Yogi government increased the honorarium of outsourced personnel working in Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation by 5 per cent from July, as reported by Lokmat Times. According to Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Singh, this increase was made in the honorarium of computer operator, accountant cum tally operator and programmer. The benefit will be given to 249 computer operator employees working in the Transport Corporation, with their honorarium increasing from approximately Rs 20,655 to Rs 21,420. The honorarium of 35 Accountant cum Tally Operator personnel has also been increased, with salaries ranging approximately Rs 20 thousand to Rs 26 thousand in the order of seniority. The honorarium of 26 personnel working on the post of programmer will increase from Rs 42,000 to Rs 43,313.