Last Updated on May 5, 2021 at 7:13 pm
Even though healthline workers are playing an active role in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of National Health Mission (NHM) employees working throughout J&K have not received salaries for at least 3 months.
Over 8,500 employees including doctors, paramedics and managers working across the Union Territory are waiting for their salaries even though they have to work overtime to deal with COVID-19 second wave in healthcare facilities across J&K.
Sources said that the Centre has already granted approval to the funds necessary for salaries of NHM employees. Grant of salaries has been delayed at UT level because they have to be first approved by Finance Department and then to be forwarded to Health Department. Only after that funds will be transferred to the NHM for further release to employees.
One such employees said that they haven’t received salaries for last 2 months. Many of them haven’t received it for even last three months. As a result of this delay, they all are struggling financially in this pandemic. Chief spokesperson of J&K NHM Employees Association (JKNHMEA) Abdul Rauof said that concerned department must solve this problem.
He said that Eid is about to come and employees are requesting the government to send their hard-earned money within time so that they can celebrate it with their loved ones. Unfortunately, this is not the first time when there is a delay in issuance of salaries of NHM employees.
Employees said that this malfunctioning system must be improved and an efficient system must be put in its place so that employees don’t suffer. Financial Advisor (CAO) NHM, Abhishek Talwar said that they will release salary of employees before Eid. Once Finance Department finalizes this decision then they will release their salary same day.
Earlier on April 30 this year, J&K Government has ordered that they will reward loyalty bonus to contractual staff which is hired under National Health Mission (NHM) for financial year 2020-21, even though employees have not got their salaries for the last 2-3 months. This implies that a 10 per cent bonus will be given to those employees who have spent a minimum of three years of service with NHM.
