Thousands of employees of Health and Family Welfare in J&K are without salaries for the last four months due to which they have been going through a “very tough time”.
The employees, including Deputy Chief Medical Officers, educators and FMPHWs, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that they have been without salaries since May this year and have been facing “hard times”.
Official sources said that thousands of employees working in Health & Family Welfare across J&K under a centrally sponsored scheme have never received their salaries on time.
They said the employees working under 2,210 head never face such issues and get salaries on time but those working under 2,211 head have to bear the issue of delay in salaries.
They said despite being permanent employees of the Union Territory (UT), they have to come on the roads for salaries.
The employees said the education of their children is being affected since they are not able to pay their fees regularly. Despite putting in our best efforts during the COVID pandemic, we have to literally beg for salaries, said one of the employees.
“Neither DPCs are being considered in stipulated time nor salaries are being released in time,” they said, adding, “Some of our employees are suffering from chronic diseases but they too are facing problems and their treatment gets delayed in the absence of salaries.”
Vice President of Health and Family Welfare J&K Masarat Jabeen told KNO that the employees had to wait for DPC and salaries years together.
“The claims of women empowerment and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao are proving to be a hoax on the ground as despite providing primary promotive and curative healthcare for almost all the national health programs, we have to suffer,” she said.
We have never received salaries on time and despite working day and night like other employees, we are being given a step-motherly treatment due to unknown reasons, Jabeen said, adding, “We are unable to submit the fee of our children, bring clothes and other necessary items in the absence of salaries since May 2023 and some even from April.”
The other members of the association said that despite meeting the Chief Secretary, Secretary Health and other higher officials in this regard, nothing is being done on the ground.
The employees have sought the intervention of LG Manoj Sinha to get their issue resolved once and for all.
Director Health and Family Welfare J&K Dr Tabassum Jabeen said the salary issues of health and family welfare employees are old but the department is looking for a permanent solution.
“This problem is old and their salaries are coming up but that is not the permanent solution as it is for the time being only,” she said.
We are onto it to find a permanent solution to the issue, she said, adding that the employees will get pending salaries very soon—(KNO)