Assembly Passes Bills to Streamline Contract Staff Regularisation, Prune Local-Body Posts
It seeks to bring the directorate of secondary health under the ambit of the AP contract employees’ services regularisation act, 2023.
Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed two key amendment bills aimed at regularising eligible contract employees and streamlining the leadership structure of local bodies.
The house unanimously approved the Contract Employees’ Services Regularisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced by finance minister Payyavula Keshav. It seeks to bring the directorate of secondary health under the ambit of the AP contract employees’ services regularisation act, 2023.
The government said a legal time-frame discrepancy had prevented around 157 eligible contract employees working in the directorate of secondary health from benefiting from the regularisation provisions. The amendment to the schedule of the act is intended to remove the anomaly and enable eligible employees to have their services regularised.
The assembly also unanimously passed the Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing the abolition of the posts of second vice-president in Mandal Praja Parishads (MPPs) and second vice-chairperson in Zilla Praja Parishads (ZPPs). The bill was introduced on behalf of deputy chief minister K Pawan Kalyan by civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar.
Manohar said the posts of second vice-president in MPPs and second vice-chairperson in ZPPs were created through amendments made to the AP Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, in 2021. However, a government review found that the arrangement had not delivered the intended administrative benefits.
He said multiple leadership positions had reduced clarity in local administration, while the additional posts had not contributed significantly to administrative efficiency. The government therefore decided to restore the earlier system by removing the two posts.
Under the amended framework, each MPP will have one vice-president, while each ZPP will have one vice-chairperson.
AP Contract Employees’ Services Regularisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Key change: Directorate of Secondary Health brought under the 2023 Regularisation Act
Affected employees: Around 157 eligible contract staff
Amend the Schedule of the Act and enable eligible employees to benefit from regularisation
AP Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026
Posts abolished: Second Vice-President — Mandal Praja Parishads, Second Vice-Chairperson — Zilla Praja Parishads
New system: 1 Vice-President in each MPP and 1 Vice-Chairperson in each ZPP
