Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 28: Union Health Minister Harshvardhan today assured the State BJP leader that funds under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) Scheme for J&K will be released within 10 days.
BJP Organization general secretary, Ashok Koul took up the issue with Harshvardhan on phone after a delegation of JK Medical Employees Federation and BJP district president Rajesh Gupta informed him that the employees of J&K Health Services working under NRHM Scheme are without salaries for last eight months. They said that the authorities in Health Services informed them that they were unable to release their salaries as Centre has not released funds under NRHM.
Koul took up the issue with Union Health Minister and sought his immediate intervention in the matter. Harshvardhan assured him that funds will be released within 10 days under the scheme to the State.
Earlier, large numbers of FMPHWs assembled in the premises of Directorate of Health Services under the banner of JK Medical Employees Federation and raised slogans in favour of their demands.
While addressing the gathering, Dharminder Singh Bhargav, president, JK Medical Employees Federation said that FMPHWs are facing lots of problems but Government is not paying any heed towards that.
He added that FMPHWs of Jammu province working under a/c 2211 have not been paid their salaries for the last eight months, which has made their life miserable and they are at the verge of starvation.
He said that this problem is persistent for several years but no permanent solution for it has been found till date and FMPHWs continue to suffer.
Bhargav urged Director Health Services to take up the matter with higher authorities for early redressal.
He added that FMPHWs are appointed after successful completion of MPHW training of one and half year duration and are offered pay scale of Rs 3050-4500 (pre-revised), whereas the Basic Health Workers, who successfully complete 30 days MPHW training are placed in pay scale of Rs 4000-6000 (pre-revised) in lieu of it. It is great injustice with FMPHWs, he said and sought pay scale of Rs 4000-6000 for FMPHWs.
Saroj Bala, president and Kamla Devi, general secretary of FMPHW Association said that this gender based exploitation and discrimination with FMPHWs may be stopped and appropriate measures should be taken for regular disbursement of their salaries.
The federation has served 15 days ultimatum to solve genuine demands of FMPHWs or will take some drastic steps and for any inconvenience the concerned authorities will be responsible.
Later, the federation also submitted a memorandum of demands to Director Health Services.
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