CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami Friday urged the government to frame a policy for absorption and regularization of NHM/RNTCP/NACO employees in the Health and Medical Education department.
In a statement, CPI (M) said the government should also enhance/revise wages on an equal-work-equal-pay principle on the pattern of SRO 384/24 employees. Providing social security benefits like mediclaim, ex-gratia policy and EPF/NPS for all employees, maternity Benefit Act implementation and leave benefits are some of the other demands of these employees, which should be considered on priority, it said.
“There are more than 8000 employees (about 1400 doctors, 6000 paramedics and 600 managerial professionals) working for the last 13 years in Jammu and Kashmir under the National Health Mission (NHM) / RNTCP/ NACO on contract basis,” the CPI (M) in statement said.
It further added that is unfortunate that the employees who have given the prime of their youth to the mission have been left most vulnerable and insecure. The lack of job security, meager salary and lack of social security haunt them day in and day out.
Pertinently, the contract employees working under SRO-24 (formerly SRO 384) in J&K are also paid minimum of the scale wages which is much higher than NHM remuneration rates.