*Nursing staff deprived of allowances, updated designations
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 3: Jammu and Kashmir Government is yet to address longstanding issues of pay anomalies and recruitment rules for non-gazetted (N-G) employees in new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), leaving staff in these critical positions frustrated and uncertain about their career progression.
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Since the establishment of GMCs in Kathua, Doda, Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla in 2018, followed by additions in Udhampur and Handwara, the Department of Health and Medical Education (H&ME) has struggled to finalize recruitment guidelines and rectify wage disparities, despite forming multiple committees over the years to tackle these problems.
Initial Government orders issued in 2019 aimed to address these pay discrepancies, with the creation of committees to examine the matter, including Orders 831-HME and 16-HME. However, subsequent committees formed in 2020, 2023 and 2024 have not yielded tangible progress, and employees still await the implementation of standardized recruitment rules. This delay has left non-gazetted staff in a state of limbo, with unclear job structures and no formalized career paths, heightening frustration and diminishing morale within the workforce.
A significant source of discontent is the persistent pay disparity between gazetted and non-gazetted staff. Gazetted employees in these colleges are eligible for promotions within three years of service, creating a structured advancement path.
Meanwhile, non-gazetted employees, who frequently complete five or more years of dedicated service, remain at the same pay level without any comparable opportunities for progression. Although the H&ME Department recognized these pay anomalies in 2019, no concrete steps have been taken to implement changes, leaving non-gazetted employees feeling overlooked and underappreciated.
In addition to pay disparities, the non-gazetted nursing staff in J&K is excluded from receiving dress and nursing allowances, which have been granted to nursing personnel across India including Ladakh Union Territory. This omission results in a monthly income disparity of roughly Rs 12,000, with J&K’s nursing staff being left out of allowances recommended by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in 2017 to support frontline workers. While nursing staff in Ladakh benefit from these allowances, their peers in J&K continue to be denied similar support, exacerbating the gap in income and benefits.
Another point of contention lies in outdated job designations and pay grades. In 2016, the MoHFW reclassified the entry-level position for nursing staff nationwide as “Nursing Officer” with a Level-7 pay matrix, set at Rs 44,990-Rs 1,42,400. However, J&K has not adopted this title and instead continues to recruit nursing staff under the designation of “Junior Staff Nurse” with a lower Level-4 pay scale of Rs 25,500-Rs 81,100. This practice contrasts with national norms and leaves J&K’s nursing staff without the same professional standing or remuneration that their counterparts in other States and UTs receive.
The absence of clear recruitment rules, unresolved pay anomalies, and outdated job titles have raised questions about the prioritization of non-gazetted staff concerns within the J&K administration. Many argue that addressing these concerns would not only improve morale but also ensure the alignment of J&K’s healthcare sector with broader national standards, providing the non-gazetted workforce with fair and standardized employment conditions.
When contacted, Additional Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department, Chand Kishore Sharma, said that they have created recruitment rules of N-G staff for GMC Srinagar while the same is near completion for GMC Jammu. He said as far as new GMCs are concerned, the process are yet to be started.
However, Vishav Sharma, J&K Incharge, All India Registered Nurses Federation (AIRNF), said that draft recruitment rules recently notified by the Department of Health and Medical Education for non-gazetted posts at GMC Srinagar does not address disparities in pay levels and nomenclature for nursing staff as compared to other States and Union Territories.
He said there is urgent need to rectify these draft recruitment rules which is causing further dissatisfaction among nursing professionals as the draft rules for GMC Srinagar maintain the Matron and Assistant Matron positions at Pay Level 7, whereas other regions recognize Nursing Officer as the entry-level post, with promotion pathways extending to Chief Nursing Officer at Pay Level 12.
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