Srinagar, Jun 01 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir administration is looking for the permanent solution of issues pertaining to employees of the Health and Family Welfare department, an official said.
Director Health and Family Welfare J&K Dr Tabassum Jabeen said that salary issues of health and family welfare employees are old but the department is looking for their permanent solution.
“This problem is old and their salaries are coming up but that is not the permanent solution as it is for time being only,” she said.
“We are onto it and even today we had a meeting in this regard so as to find their permanent solution,” She added.
Notably, Thousands of employees of Health and Family Welfare in J&K are without salaries since the last five/six months due to which they have been going through a very tough time
The employees, including deputy Chief Medical Officers, educators and FMPHWs, said that they are without salaries for the last five months and even they didn't get salaries on Eid-ul-Fitr eve.
President of Health and Family Welfare J&K Neolofar said that education of their children gets affected since they are not able to pay their fee regularly and despite putting in best efforts during the COVID pandemic they have to literally beg for salaries.
Vice-president of the association Masarat Jabeen told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that they never received salaries on time especially on festivals like Eid and despite working day and night like other employees, they are being given a step motherly treatment due to unknown reasons.
“We are unable to submit the fee of our children, bring clothes and other necessary items in the absence of salaries since December last year,” Jabeen said. "The other members of the association said that despite meeting the Chief Secretary, Secretary Health and other higher officials in this regard nothing is being done on ground."
The employees said that every director and health secretary promises them that their issues will solved permanently but that isn't happening on ground.
They requested LG Manoj Sinha and other concerned officials to intervene in the matter and take immediate steps so that this issue gets resolved once for all.
Chief Accounts officer Directorate of Health and Family Welfare while acknowledging that employees are without salaries from the last 5-6 months told KNO that they have received the payment and within days employees will get salary.
Officials told KNO, that thousands of employees working in health centres across J&K Health & Family Welfare under a centrally sponsored scheme have never got their salaries in time.
They said employees working under 2210 head never face such issues and get salaries in time but on the other hand workers working under 2211 head have to bear the issue of delay in salaries.
They told KNO that despite being the permanent employees of the Union Territory (UT), they have to come on roads for their salaries.
“It is a centrally sponsored scheme but since 2021, Government of India has issued a circular that States/UTs must spend the amount first on themselves. But that is not being done in J&K yet,” they said—(KNO)