The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday said that the wages of employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) in the Union Territory were last revised in 2021-22 with an annual increase of 5 percent, and any further salary enhancement or regularization is subject to the policy decisions of the Central Government.
This was stated in a written reply by the Health and Medical Education Department to a question tabled by MLA Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal in the Assembly regarding the status of NHM employees.
In response to the query on whether wages of NHM employees have not been revised since 2009, the department clarified that their wages were enhanced in 2011 and again in 2014.
“Subsequently, with the prior approval of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, their wages were revised again from 15% to 17% during the year 2021-22, along with a 5% annual increment,” the reply said.
Regarding the possibility of further wage revision in line with inflation or dearness, the Government said that NHM is a fully centrally funded scheme, and any salary adjustments must be in line with the policies and budget allocations of the Central Government. “Such changes require prior approval from the Central Ministry to ensure compliance with NHM objectives,” it added.
On the issue of regularization of NHM employees, particularly in comparison to states like Manipur, the Govt said that the policy decisions for NHM employees fall entirely under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. “NHM employees are engaged on a contractual basis for one year, with yearly renewal based on performance,” the reply said.
As for a roadmap or proposal for regularization, the Government said that any such policy decision regarding regularization, salary enhancement, or bridging of wage gaps must align with the guidelines issued by the Central Government.
The reply also said that while the concerns of NHM employees are acknowledged, any structural changes would require the Central Government’s nod, as the scheme is centrally sponsored and governed.
