Even as the Uttarakhand High Court (HC) directed the secretary, medical health and family welfare to solve the problem of employees of the emergency 108 ambulance service, the agitation of the association of field workers of 108 ambulance service continued for second day on Wednesday.
The association had said that its members would highlight their plight by begging on the major roads of the city on Wednesday. The administration citing model code of conduct enforced in the state in view of the parliamentary election denied permission to the association to venture into the roads of the city. Meanwhile, the Vice President of state unit of Congress party Surya Kant Dhasmana visited the protest site for second consecutive day to extend his support for the association of 108 ambulance workers. Launching a blistering attack on the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, he said that the CM has given a gift of International Labour Day to 717 workers of ambulance service by removing them from the job. He said that the 108 service is working from last 11 years to transport the patients from remote parts of the state to the higher centres but due to insensitivity of the chief minister and the health department this vital service has came to a grinding halt from last nine days.
The general secretary of the association of field workers, Vipin Jamloki said that the it is unfortunate that the new company Community Action and Motivation Programme ( CAMP) has not even contacted the experienced workers of GVK EMRI. He said that the agitation of the association would continue till their demands are accepted.
The contract of GVK- EMRI Company to operate 108 emergency ambulance service ended on Tuesday and the new company, CAMP took over the operation. The new company CAMP is offering less salary to the experienced worker which is the bone of contention between it and the association of workers. The workers are demanding that they should be absorbed into the new company on existing salaries.