The employees working under centrally funded National Health Mission (NHM) in J&K have decried delay in release of salary for last several months and urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to mitigate their suffering.
A group of employees comprising doctors, managerial staffand paramedics said they are not being paid salaries regularly while wages oflast three to four months are pending.
“Despite working on meagre wages as compared to stategovernment staff, we are not paid our salary on time. Our families aresuffering. So much so we don’t even have cash for meeting travel expenses toour places of work”, said one of the doctors.
“We have requested the concerned authorities for release ofwages several times but our pleas seem to fall to deaf ears,” he added.
Hilal Ahmad, a paramedic said: “a paramedic under NHM getsone fourth salary as compared to regular staff despite having same job profile,qualifications and working hours. Rather than giving justice to us through wageenhancement, the authorities are making us suffer immensely. How can theyexpect us to work with dedication when our families are suffering for want ofbread and butter?”, he asked.
President NHM Association Muneer Ahmad Andrabi said, “wehave taken up the matter at both Mission Directorate and Secretariat level butthere has been no fruitful outcome. We are hopeful that the issue will be takenup seriously and all our pending wages are released shortly”.
He requested Governor to intervene and redress their pendinggrievances like social security, wage enhancement and job policy as alreadycommitted by the government
Mission Director NHM Bhupinder Kumar said, “no salary isbeing withheld. We are releasing funds as and when we receive from thetreasury. Today also we have released funds to the districts for salaries(sic),” it reads.