AIZAWL:
The 2000-strong contractual employees under the National Health Mission (NHM) in Mizoram began a three-day mass casual leave agitation from July 11 despite an appeal from the Mizoram health department not to go ahead with it.
The employees, under the banner NHM Employees Union Mizoram (NEUM) have been demanding regularisation of their services, payment, medical reimbursement and travelling allowance for transfer.
The union, in a statement issued on Monday, said that the NHM employees in Mizoram have not been paid for three months now. “We have suffered due to non-payment for the past three months and it has happened many a time in the past,” the statement added.
The union accused the state government of showing indifference to their plight.
“A group to look into our demands, formed in August 2021, has submitted its report in April this year. But, so far, nothing has been done in this regard,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Health and Family Welfare Department had appealed to the employees not to go ahead with their proposed plan as their demands were under consideration.
On their demand for regularisation, the department said that there are over 2000 employees under the NHM and many more under CSS/EAP in other departments. Therefore, their demand for regularisation cannot be granted at the drop of a hat.
“As mentioned earlier, their demands have been looked into and a study group has been formed. The study group’s report is being studied,” the statement said.
The department further said that technical reasons had delayed their payments but salaries for the months of April and May were disbursed on July 6, it said.