Goa Government Bars New Contract Hiring, Sets Rules to Regularise 10-Year Employees

The Goa government has prohibited fresh contractual appointments across state government departments and government-controlled bodies, while introducing a one-time provision to regularise eligible contractual employees who have completed at least 10 years of continuous service.

The decision follows the notification of the Goa (Contractual Employees Regularization in Service) Rules, 2026 by the Department of Personnel on Thursday. Officials said the rules are aimed at bringing greater clarity to the employment status of long-serving contractual workers while ensuring that future vacancies are filled through regular recruitment.

Under the new framework, departments and government bodies will not be permitted to make further contractual appointments, except in specific cases involving consultants, domain experts and personnel appointed for time-bound state or Central government schemes.

However, employees hired under these exceptions will not have any claim to regularisation. Their contracts will automatically conclude upon completion of the specified tenure or assigned work. The rules also prohibit the extension or renewal of such specialised contracts. If the requirement continues after the original contract ends, authorities will have to enter into a fresh contract.

For the one-time regularisation exercise, contractual employees belonging to Group A, B and C categories will be considered if they were directly recruited, possessed the required qualifications at the time of appointment and have completed 10 years of uninterrupted service without any adverse record.

All government departments and state-controlled bodies have been directed to submit lists of eligible employees within 15 days for further action.

The government has also clarified that routine vacancies in the state administration will be filled through established regular recruitment procedures instead of contractual hiring.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced the proposed policy during the recent monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, promising regularisation for contractual employees who had completed 10 years of service.