Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 10: Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat today came under fire from his own party MLAs besides opposition in the House for allegedly being insensitive towards the plights of National Health Mission employees, who were brutally lathicharged here yesterday.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta, who was in the Chair, also admonished Bali Bhagat for his non-seriousness as he left the House when the Members were drawing attention towards the issues concerning Health Department.
“This is non-seriousness that the Minister has left the House when the Members are discussing issues concerning his department,” the Speaker said while pointing to the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, A R Veeri.
Apparently sensing trouble, the Health Minister had left the House soon after concluding his statement to inform the House that the Government was in the process of addressing genuine issues of the NHM employees, who have given an undertaking, according to which they would not press for their regularization.
Even as the opposition National Conference and Congress were not present in the House owing to their boycott in protest against alleged Human Rights violations in Kashmir valley, the Minister’s statement invited sharp reaction from his own party Legislators who expressed their complete dissatisfaction over his response.
“The Minister’s reply is not satisfactory as he talks of taking up their (NHM employees) issues in a phased manner but there has been no assurance. Moreover, he is virtually rejecting their demand on the pretext of an undertaking from the employees,” BJP MLA from Kathua Rajiv Jasrotia said in an agitated manner.
MLA Chenani, Dina Nath Bhagat took the opportunity to expose poor health of medical facilities in his constituency and informed about non-availability of doctors in the Health Centres.
Alleging that despite repeated pleas in this regard, there was no action to provide the doctors and other needed facilities in rural areas, the BJP MLA threatened to launch a vigorous protest against the prevailing situation in Health Department.
MLA Ramnagar, R S Pathania also alleged non-availability of doctors in the Health Centres in his constituency and said that by resorting to lathicharge on peacefully agitating female employees by male cops, the authorities had committed contempt of various Supreme Court directions in this regard.
As the BJP Legislators were vociferously condemning the brutal Police Lathicharge on NHM employees and also highlighting the issue of non-availability of doctors in the hospitals in their respective constituencies, the Independent MLA Engineer Rashid called upon the ruling party Members to resign as they were finding fault in their own Government.
Independent MLA, Pawan Gupta also took on the Health Minister for claiming that the NHM employees had given an undertaking for being temporary. “This undertaking has been taken from them in duress and can’t be listed as an excuse to deny them regularization,” he said and suggested that these doctors could be adjusted against the vacant posts lying in the Health Department.
The issue was first raised by BJP State president and MLA Jammu-West, Sat Sharma who drew attention of the House towards brutal use of Police force against protesting NHM employees, including women, who were demanding their regularization. He demanded action against the officers responsible for the brutal lathicharge and stressed that issues of NHM employees must be given positive consideration.
CPI (M) MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami also demanded regularization of the NHM employees and condemned the way they were being tackled by the Government.
PDP MLA Yawar Ahmad Mir drew attention towards the services being rendered by NHM employees in the Health Centres located in rural areas and highlighted the problems being faced by the patients due to prolonged strike of medicos and paramedics engaged under NHM.
Earlier, the Health Minister informed the House that Government has conceded maximum demands of the NHM employees, even as their demand for regularization of services was being looked into. He said a four member committee constituted by the Government to look into the demands of the NHM employees has presented its report and its recommendations are under consideration of the Government.
Elaborating further, the Minister said that in its report the committee has put the number of NHM employees at 8402 and their regularization in one go would have a financial implication of Rs 224 crore on the State exchequer.
Minister said the committee has recommended for phased regularization of the employees starting with 1020 employees which would involve financial implication of Rs 27.41 crore. He said the Government was considering the recommendations of the committee.
However, the Minister said that the Government has met several other demands of the NHM employees. He said that earlier 3 months maternity leave was granted in favour of the female employees without salary, but now they avail the leave along with the perks. He said they are also entitled to EPF, Accidental insurance and other incentives.
The Minister recognized the contribution and dedication of NHM employees and appealed them to resume their duty.
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