Srinagar, Aug 18 (KNO): The employees of five newly established Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Jammu and Kashmir have started an indefinite strike over the prolonged delay in finalising Service Recruitment Rules (SRRs), with the protesting staff warning that the agitation will continue until the rules are formally notified.
The strike, which began on Monday at GMC Rajouri, GMC Doda and GMC Kathua, spread to GMC Anantnag and GMC Baramulla on Tuesday, bringing employees of all five new medical colleges under the banner of the ongoing agitation.
The employees, associated with the All India Registered Nurses Federation (AIRNF), J&K UT Committee, are demanding immediate finalisation of service rules governing non-gazetted employees recruited for the five new GMCs established in 2019.
The protesting employees, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the prolonged absence of a formal service framework has left thousands of workers without regular promotional avenues despite several years of service.
More than 3,300 non-gazetted employees, including nursing, paramedical, clerical and multitasking staff, are reportedly affected by the issue. Employees said many of them have completed the required years of service but have not been considered for regular promotions due to the non-finalisation of the rules and the absence of functioning Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs).
AIRNF J&K UT Committee State President Vishav Sharma said employees had repeatedly raised the matter with the concerned authorities but were compelled to resort to an indefinite strike after failing to receive a concrete resolution.
He said their principal demand is the immediate framing, finalisation and notification of SRRs, followed by constitution of DPCs for all eligible cadres so that promotion cases can be processed in accordance with established government norms.
"The absence of DPCs has effectively blocked their career progression, with several employees continuing in the same posts for years despite gaining experience and fulfilling the required period of service," Sharma said.
The protesters also highlighted what they describe as a disparity between employees of the new GMCs and staff working in older institutions such as GMC Srinagar and GMC Jammu, where established service rules provide defined promotional avenues.
According to the employees, they are performing duties similar to their counterparts in established medical colleges but lack a comparable mechanism for career advancement.
The issue has also assumed significance amid the continued expansion of healthcare infrastructure at the five new GMCs.
"New departments, units, laboratories and other facilities have been added over the years, but the staff remains the same. The workload is increasing while employees continue to face uncertainty about their own career progression,” Sharma said.
The employees said the delay in finalising service rules has implications beyond promotions, alleging that it has also created uncertainty over seniority, pay fixation and other service-related benefits linked to career progression.
They have demanded that the government establish a time-bound mechanism for completing the process and initiate promotion exercises immediately after notification of the rules.
The protesting staff has also sought consideration of retrospective promotional benefits, wherever legally permissible, along with consequential benefits arising from the delay in conducting promotion exercises.
The employees have appealed to Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo and senior officials of the department to intervene and resolve the issue at the earliest.
The finalisation of the SRRs, they said, would not only address their immediate concerns but also establish a transparent framework for recruitment, seniority, promotions and other service conditions in the five newly established GMCs.
The protesting employees have made it clear that the strike will continue until the Service Recruitment Rules are finalised and the process for regular promotions is set in motion—(KNO)