With a large number of protesting employees of the National Health Mission, Haryana, yet to join their duty despite the Haryana Government’s warning, Health Minister Anil Vij on Monday ordered to begin process of termination of such employees besides initiating recruitment process.
The strike of contractual employees of NHM, Haryana entered seventh day on Monday affecting the healthcare services in the State.
All employees working on contract basis under NHM, Haryana were directed by the State Government to join their duty by 8 am on Dec 9 or else their services were threatened to be terminated.
“The process has been started to terminate the services of those employees who have not yet joined their duties. New recruitment process is also being started to avoid any inconvenience to the patients, said Anil Vij while talking to the mediapersons after holding a high level meeting with senior officers here.
Vij also directed to impose Section 144 in two km radius of civil hospitals in the state to facilitate the patients and to ensure timely treatment for them.The Minister said that a notice has been issued to NHM employees who are observing strike.
As a result of which, maximum employees have joined their duties. Those who do not join their duty would be terminated, he added.
On demands of employees, Vij said that the Government is spending Rs 180 crore per annum on the employees of NHM and the maximum demands of the employees have already been fulfilled.
He said that a hike of five per cent and another hike of three per cent have been made in the honorarium of these employees. Apart from this, approval to give a hike of 14.29 per cent in their honorarium has also been given as per 7th Pay Commission, said Vij.
It is absolutely wrong that the employees are still protesting, he added. Vij had earlier also said that their demand regarding regularization relates to the Central Government, on which the Centre alone can take a decision.
Notably, over 12000 NHM contractual workers went on strike on Tuesday demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report, regularization of their services besides other things. These NHM employees are employed at primary health centres, urban health centres and ambulance services in Haryana.
While the NHM workers had gave a call for two-day strike which began on last Tuesday, later they announced to go on indefinite strike.
The NHM workers continued their protests in various districts of Haryana on Monday against the State Government’s orders of terminating their services.
Meanwhile, the opposition has lashed out at the BJP led Haryana Government for terminating the services of large number of NHM employees.
leader of opposition in Haryana and INlD’s senior leader, Abhay Singh Chautala said that the State Government has betrayed 10000 employees of NHM by terminating their services. On one hand, the employees were assured of positive response from government and on the other, their services were terminated by the government, he added.
Congress leader and an MlA from Haryana, Randeep Singh Surjewala has also condemned the government’s decision to terminate services of the NHM employees. He said that instead of giving jobs to the people, Haryana Government is taking away their jobs. The BJP Government has deceived the people of Haryana by such actions, he said.