Lok Sabha Question No. 2603 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Disparity in Remuneration of Regular and Contractual Employees
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Rajeev Rai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2603 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## DISPARITY IN REMUNERATION OF REGULAR AND CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES

2603. SHRI RAJEEV RAI:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)the  manner  of  determining  the  salary  and  other  allowances  for regular employees, class and post-wise and the way to determine the pay and allowances for employees engaged on contract basis performing same work and duties;
- (b)the  details  of  the  grade-wise  number  of  regular  employees  and employees  engaged  on  contract  basis  in  each  Nav  Ratna Company; and
- (c)the  reasons  for  discrepancy  in  the  pay  and  perks  of  regular employees and contractual employees?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

( a) to (c): The  salaries  and  allowances  of  regular  employees  are determined through different mechanisms depending on the sector of employment.  For  government  employees,  pay  and  allowances  are fixed based on the recommendations of Pay Commissions. In Public Sector Enterprises, pay and allowances are determined through Pay Revision  Committees.  In  the  private  sector,  salaries  are  largely decided through employment contracts, subject to statutory provisions.

In  so  far  as  employees  engaged  on  contract  basis performing  same  work  and  duties  as  the  regular  employees  are concerned,  the  Contract  Labour  (Regulation  &  Abolition)  Central Rules, 1971 [Rule 25(2)(v)(a)], stipulates as under:

'In cases where the workmen employed by the contractor perform the same or similar kind of work as the workmen directly employed by the principal employer of the establishments, the wage

rates, holidays, hours of work and other conditions of service of the workmen of the contractor shall be the same as applicable to the workmen  directly employed  by  the principal employer  of the establishment on the same or similar kind of work;

Provided that in the case of any disagreement with regard to the type of work, the same shall be decided by the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central).'

The provisions of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 have now been subsumed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH&WC Code). Further, the  rules  under  the  Occupational  Safety,  Health  and  Working

Conditions Code, 2020 have been pre-published.

Details of the number of regular employees and contractual/  casual  employees  of  Navratna  CPSEs  as  per  Public Enterprise (PE) Survey 2024-25 is enclosed as Annexure.

*                                                        *****

Annexure referred to in reply of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2603 for 09.03.2026 regarding ' Disparity in Remuneration of Regular and Contractual Employees ' raised by Hon'ble MP Shri Rajeev Rai.

## Number of Employees in Navratna CPSEs as per Public Enterprises Survey 2024-25 (as on 31.3.2025)

| S. No.   | Cognate Group/ CPSE                                  | Number of Regular Employees   | Number of Contractual/ casual Workers   | Grand Total   |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|---------------|
|          | (1)                                                  | (2)                           | (3)                                     | (2) + (3)     |
| 1        | ONGC Videsh Ltd                                      | 204                           | 1233                                    | 1437          |
| 2        | National Aluminium Company Ltd                       | 4803                          | 61                                      | 4864          |
| 3        | NMDC Ltd                                             | 5677                          | 5319                                    | 10996         |
| 4        | Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd                            | 10943                         | 12487                                   | 23430         |
| 5        | National Fertilizers Ltd                             | 2511                          | 3547                                    | 6058          |
| 6        | Rashtriya Chemical and Fertilizers Ltd               | 2620                          | 2607                                    | 5227          |
| 7        | NHPC Ltd                                             | 4577                          | 16                                      | 4593          |
| 8        | NLC India Ltd                                        | 9767                          | 20434                                   | 30201         |
| 9        | SJVN Ltd                                             | 1070                          | 195                                     | 1265          |
| 10       | Central Warehousing Corporation                      | 1841                          | 0                                       | 1841          |
| 11       | Container Corporation of India Ltd                   | 1256                          | 0                                       | 1256          |
| 12       | Shipping Corporation of India Ltd                    | 448                           | 49                                      | 497           |
| 13       | Engineers India Ltd                                  | 2636                          | 3                                       | 2639          |
| 14       | Ircon International Ltd                              | 834                           | 242                                     | 1076          |
| 15       | NBCC (India) Ltd                                     | 1164                          | 77                                      | 1241          |
| 16       | Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd                                 | 333                           | 577                                     | 910           |
| 17       | RITES Ltd                                            | 1793                          | 921                                     | 2714          |
| 18       | Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd                | 154                           | 103                                     | 257           |
| 19       | Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. | 1338                          | 1401                                    | 2739          |
| 20       | Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd.         | 619                           | 48                                      | 667           |
| 21       | Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd.              | 44                            | 4                                       | 48            |
| 22       | Indian Renewable Energy Devt. Agency Ltd.            | 166                           | 71                                      | 237           |
| 23       | Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.                       | 3031                          | 5                                       | 3036          |
| 24       | Railtel Corporation India Ltd.                       | 567                           | 2073                                    | 2640          |
| 25       | Bharat Electronics Ltd.                              | 8844                          | 11342                                   | 20186         |
| 26       | Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.                       | 2657                          | 9296                                    | 11953         |