The Punjab Cabinet meeting at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence will decide on the proposal to absorb outsourced employees. (File Photo) In a significant move, the Punjab government is planning to absorb nearly 60,000 outsourced employees across its government departments by repealing a 2016 welfare law and replacing it with new legislation to transition them to direct government contracts and eventual absorption. The personnel department’s proposal will be placed before the Cabinet meeting at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ’s residence on Saturday afternoon. The proposal seeks the repeal of the Punjab Adhoc, Contractual, Daily Wage, Temporary, Work Charged and Outsourced Employees’ Welfare Act, 2016, along with the introduction of two new bills, including the Punjab State Outsourced Personnel (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Bill, 2026, and the Punjab Contractual Personnel (Absorption Against Sanctioned Vacancies) Bill, 2026.…