NHM employees seek guv’s intervention, demand regularization

Srinagar, Jan 22: National Health Mission (NHM) employees who are on strike since January 14 on Tuesday sought the intervention of governor Satya Pal Malik for the addressal of their long pending issues.

Accusing government of adopting lackadaisical attitude towards their issues, the protesting employees demanded the implementation of Supreme Court (SC) guidelines-equal pay for equal wages in their favour at an earliest.

Initially, the strike was called for 48 hours but was extended by 72 hours.
Staging protest at Press Enclave, they raised slogans in favour of their demands.

They said that they have already signed a Memorandum of Mutual Understanding (MOU) with the government, wherein the government has accepted to regularize them in a phased manner.“We can give some more time to the government for the formulation of regularization policy provided it implement the supreme court guidelines of equal pay for equal wages in our favour without any delay, “said vice president,NHM Co-Ordination Committee, Dr Sajad H Kanoongoh.

“In the recent past, the salaries of MLA’s, doctors of GMC, etc have been hiked. We are rendering our services as doctors, OT technicians, etc. We are all skilled professional employees. Why should we work on peanuts,”Kanoongoh said.

He said that “we have been working relentlessly, providing our best for the patient care but government has not been doing anything to address our issues.”

“Still we are craving for the benefits of 7th pay commission. No social security benefits are being provided to us. For the last three consecutive years,J&K has secured topping ranking in the primary health care sector. The morality rate has come down,”he said.