Hundreds of paramedical workers, who were reportedly engaged as ANM, JNM, staff nurse, and pharmacist during the crucial period of Covid-19 pandemic in Ganjam district to serve the corona affected patients on contractual basis for a period of three months, are on dharna in front of Ganjam Collector’s office on Monday at Chatrapur protesting their disengagement from service.
Expressing serious concern on their disengagement, the protesting employees have said that they were engaged on contractual basis in different blocks of Ganjam district in myriad works such as to visit collecting swab, conducting thermal screening and pulse ox-meter tests,
sensitizing public aboutimpact of Corona virus and attending duties as assigned to them in different Covid-19 care centers, institutional isolation centers and hospitals. However, they alleged that despite performing most valuable humanitarian services, they were ignored. According to agitating employees, they were engaged on contractual basis for a period of three months, but were removed from their service within one month which is arbitrary, illegal, and uncalled for.
The Union Government has been saying that, neither employees can be disengaged during Covid-19 pandemic nor their salary can be stopped. But very order of disengagement of these poor paramedical staff is contrary to humanitarian sprit and policy of the Centre, they lamented.
Unfortunately, after sitting on dharana for more than a week, Additional District Collector Amiya Kumar Sahu came to dharna place and met agitating paramedical workers and reportedly assured them to bring their genuine grievances to notice of Collector soon after his return.