Srinagar, Feb 04: Reacting to the demands of regularization of National Health Mission (NHM) employees, Administrative Secretary, H&ME Department, Bhupinder Kumar on Saturday said there is no proposal under consideration for their regularization as of now.
Since 2015, the government constituted committees to look into the demands of NHM employees and all these committees proposed their regularization after they went on strike.
“Regularization of contractual employees is a policy matter as it involves huge financial implications, and there is no commitment on part of the government in this regard. As of now, no such proposal is under consideration,” Kumar said.
In 2015, the Union Health Ministry intimated that the Government of India provides support to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare delivery system, including support for the engagement of HR on a contractual basis based on requirements posed by States/UTs in their Program Implementation Plan (PIP). Moreover, the majority of the funding for HR in NHM is met from the Central Grants as the funding pattern is 90:10.
When asked why the NHM employees face delays in the disbursal of salaries, Kumar said that NHM funds are subject to release by the Government of India and its subsequent release by the Finance Department/Treasuries.
“In the past, there have been some instances of delay in the disbursal of salaries due to shifting to the revised procedures under the CSS. In recent times, new procedures of single nodal accounts have been adopted and the system is getting used to the same. The matter shall be streamlined in due course of time,” he said.
The Admin Secy H&ME Department also said since the inception of NHM in J&K, out of 54 cases, 6 NHM employees have been provided social security benefits of Rs 10 lakh per case on February 23, 2022.
“The files of 34 employees are under process and the amount will be disbursed. However, the social security benefits to the remaining 14 employees will be disbursed shortly,” he said.
On doctors working under NHM for more than a decade not getting any such reservations in the NEET PG, he said, “It is a policy matter and needs to be examined.”
