CHENNAI: The Overseas Manpower Corporation Limited (OMCL) has listed several posts for recruitment through outsourcing, including positions under Group IV of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC).

The government agency, which has been conducting competitive examinations every year for Group IV posts, may see a reduction in vacancies if these positions are filled through outsourcing, officials said.

"Junior assistant, assistant, office assistant and typist posts have been included in OMCL's manpower cost list. If the government fills these posts through outsourcing, the number of vacancies during the notification by the TNPSC under Group IV could come down," an official at the Secretariat said.

The salaries offered for these posts under the outsourcing category are lower than the corresponding government pay scales. An office assistant recruited through outsourcing receives around Rs 17,000 a month, compared with a basic salary of around Rs 18,000 for a regular government employee. The latter's salary increases with years of service.

Under the outsourcing arrangement, typists and assistants are offered consolidated monthly salaries of around Rs 25,000 and Rs 32,000, respectively.

Officials said those appointed through outsourcing might also get an opportunity to secure permanent employment in the same government department, subject to their educational qualifications.

Meanwhile, a recent amendment to the Tamil Nadu government's policy has caused concern among competitive examination aspirants. Under the revised arrangement, government departments and public sector undertakings seeking to recruit staff through outsourcing must engage personnel only through OMCL. Aspirants fear that this could affect recruitment opportunities through the TNPSC.

They have appealed to the government to remove Group IV-category posts from OMCL's outsourcing list.

JACTO-JEO, an umbrella organisation of Tamil Nadu government employees and teachers, has also condemned the move. Its general secretary Venkatesan said the decision was against social justice and would affect the 69 per cent reservation system. He alleged that basic-level employees would no longer be recruited through the TNPSC but through OMCL's outsourcing mechanism.