A day after ordering suspension of lab technicians who went on a two-day strike, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday softened his stance announcing to reinstate the suspended employees.
The development came after a delegation of Haryana State laboratory technician association met the Minister on late Tuesday night and requested him to withdraw the suspension orders of lab technicians. The delegation also submitted that they felt guilty for going on strike at the time when Haryana is facing epidemic like situation due to spread of dengue, malaria and chikungunya.
A day before, the Health Minister had ordered to suspend lab technicians in the state, who went on strike on September 19 despite increasing incidence of malaria, dengue and chikungunya in Haryana. Besides, services of lab technicians working on contractual basis were also terminated.
Following their meeting with Additional Chief Secretary Health, Rajan Kumar Gupta, the lab technicians association had announced to withdraw their strike later on Tuesday afternoon.
The Health Minister had however remained adamant and refused to withdraw the suspension orders. Vij had also expressed disapproval of the meeting of technicians association with ACS Health and also directed to suspend those employees who met the ACS Heath without taking leave from competent authority.
He had also announced to carry out fresh recruitment process of the lab technicians at the earliest.
The laboratory technicians, including those working in the malaria department, went on a two-day strike on Monday. They had staged dharna in various parts of the state and demanded their salaries and promotion pattern should be on a par with laboratory technicians of the Centre.
Talking to reporters, Vij on Wednesday said that the lab technicians have accepted that they made a mistake by going a strike when the state is facing problems due to water-borne diseases. I have ordered to reinstate the lab technicians but the pending inquiry against them would continue, he said.