Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 15 September 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has called upon the Government of India to urgently formulate a comprehensive policy for the regularisation and absorption of Daily Rated Mazdoors (DRMs), contractual, and outsourced employees who have been serving in the Andaman & Nicobar Administration for the past 5–25 years without service security, pension, or financial benefits.
According to official data, 12,268 workers are presently engaged across various departments of the Administration, comprising 8,301 DRMs, 2,565 contractual employees, and 1,402 outsourced staff. While DRMs are currently paid wages on a 1/30th Pay + DA basis following court orders, the remaining 3,967 workers continue to be denied the same benefits despite performing identical duties for equal durations.
Highlighting the plight of these workers, the MP drew attention to key challenges:
• Age Barriers: Many workers, having served 20–25 years, have now crossed the upper age limit, making them ineligible for fresh appointments.
• Qualification Norms: Several were recruited at a time when no formal qualifications were required. Today, even for basic MTS posts, 10th pass is mandatory, disqualifying them under current rules.
• Essential Services: These workers are continuously engaged in crucial sectors like APWD, Municipal Council, Health, Rural Development, Zilla Parishad, Shipping, PMB, Forest, Agriculture, and Veterinary Services, which shows that their work is not temporary in nature.
• Financial Viability: Extending benefits to all workers would not cause a heavy burden on the exchequer, as a large section of DRMs are already receiving 1/30th Pay + DA.
Mr. Ray expressed dissatisfaction that earlier proposals submitted by the UT Administration were rejected by the Centre due to lack of proper justification, accusing officials of forwarding half-baked schemes merely to avoid contempt proceedings in court. He stressed that numerous vacant posts exist in departments which could be utilised for regularisation strictly on the basis of seniority.
The MP also warned that denial of justice after decades of service could trigger widespread legal battles, industrial unrest, and disruption of essential public services in the Islands. Citing recent Supreme Court judgments, he asserted that employment status should be determined by the nature and continuity of work, not by the mode of engagement.
In his appeal to Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray urged the Centre to:
1. Frame a regularisation and absorption scheme for DRMs, contractual, and outsourced employees as a welfare measure.
2. Recognise their past service for pension, retirement, and social security benefits.
3. Direct the A&N Administration to prepare a comprehensive and justified proposal for submission to MHA and DoPT.
Calling the issue one of “justice, dignity, and humanity,” Mr. Ray emphasised that thousands of families in the Islands, who have dedicated their best years in service, should not be left in uncertainty.
