While urging the government to immediately fulfill its promises made with National Health Mission (NHM) employees and Non-Gazetted Forest Employees who are on strike since last so many day, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the strike of the NHM staff has hit the health services in the state badly while as the strike of the forest employees has paralysed the working in forest department and putting common people to a lot of hardships.The strike by NHM staff has affected the health services to a large extent with patients facing a lot of inconvenience in rural as well as urban areas. These employees are paid only one third of emoluments in comparison to their counterparts in the state which needs to be enhanced substantially keeping in view the nature of their duties. These employees are working on meager salaries for last more than a decade and they don’t have any job security. Government must fulfill its promises made with these employees and immediately formulate a policy for the regularization including doctors, paramedical and management staff working under NHM.
Government must also take immediate steps to regularize ASHA workers as they are contributing a lot to make the NHM a success scheme. The Government must provide a dignified monthly honorarium to these workers and paying poor compensation for extreme hard work should come to an end to protect the women folk working in this sector.Similarly the striking forest employees are being deprived of their legitimate rights by not fulfilling their legal demands which include pay anomaly, regularization of daily wager/casual labours etc and they have compelled to go on strike.The strike of these employees has hit the working of forest department and putting common people to a lot of hardships. Government has failed to fulfill their demands despite assurances from time to time.Government must talk to the representatives of the striking employees and find an amicable solution to the issues without any further delay. (PTK)