AIZAWL:
Mizoram government has sent a strong message to the agitating contractual employees under the National Rural Health mission (NHM) to call off their stir and get back to work.
“The government would take stern action against the agitating employees of the National Health Mission (NHM) if they continue to stay away from work,” Principal Secretary for health Esther Lalruatkimi said on July 14 during a press conference.
Lalruatkimi said that of three months wages being unpaid, the NHM employees have been paid their wages for two months (April and May), while efforts were also being made to release June salary soon.
“The state health department has prepared a Crisis Management Plan so as to ease the problems of the general public due to the agitation,” she said.
The Mission Director of the NHM had issued an order on July 13 asking all the employees to join their workplaces from today and the controlling officers would verify whether the order was obeyed or not.
If the employees continue their stir, firm action would be taken against them, she added.
State Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DP and AR) secretary Lalramnghaka said that there are 10,654 employees in 16 departments under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) which included the NHM employees.
“The DP and AR has conducted a study on the working conditions of employees under the CSS and has submitted its report and recommendations to the chief minister, deputy chief minister and the chief secretary,” Lalramnghaka said.
The NEUM president Malsawmtluanga Hauhnar said that they convened a meeting of all the district leaders in Aizawl on Friday and the agitation still continued which had been obeyed by all their members till date.
Hauhnar said that the NEUM was yet to hold talks with the government on their demands.