WITH salaries pending for over two months, over 16,000 employees of National Health Mission (NHM) across Chhattisgarh are in financial crisis and facing a lot of difficulties to run their households. In this regard, District President of NHM in Raigarh, Shakuntala Ekka and other employees of mission submitted memorandum in name of Chief Minister to Joint Collector Rakesh Kumar Golcha.

 

Because of this situation, they are facing difficulties to fulfill basic requirements of their families such as school fees of children, rent, EMIs of banks and other daily needs. It is learnth that during protest before Diwali, 25 NHM employees were dismissed from service and two of them are belonged to Raigarh district.

 

After getting assurance from Chief Minister, the Health Minister and State President of ruling party, NHM employees have called off their strike. Later, Chief Minister and Health Minister assured that all 25 dismissed employees would be reinstated unconditionally in the next cabinet meeting. But despite more than two months having passed and three cabinet meetings having been held in the meantime, the reinstatement order has not been issued so far.

 

Association State President, Dr Amit Kumar Miri said that while salaries have not been paid since October in entire state, in some, employees have been awaiting pay since September. “If the situation continues and salaries are not released on time, we will hold once again protest in all over State,” he added.In October, Health Department assured to fulfill demands of NHM with immediate effect, but even after one month, the department had not fulfilled any of the demands.

 

If state government as well as Chhattisgarh Department of Health and Family Welfare fail to fulfill the demands and release salaries on time, than all of NHM employees will stop their service in health services.