Haryana Police halt march of healthcare workers in Karnal

Scores of outsourced healthcare employees under the banner of the Healthcare Contract Employees Association, Rohtak, were stopped by police in Karnal while marching towards Chandigarh to press for their long-pending demands. The workers, who have been protesting in Rohtak since June 2, began their padayatra to Chandigarh on September 26, but were prevented from moving forward on Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, the employees staged a protest at Jat Dharamsala after being stopped again by the police. They alleged that despite the Haryana Government implementing the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) policy in 2021, as many as 1,271 outsourced employees at PGIMS Rohtak are yet to be absorbed under the scheme. They further claimed that their salaries have remained unrevised between 2022 and 2025, leaving them under severe financial stress.

Abhishek, president of the association, said: “We started a padayatra from Rohtak to Chandigarh to press for our demands and seek a direct meeting with the CM. The march reached Karnal on September 29, but police officials stopped us from proceeding further, saying talks were underway. Today, when we tried again, we were stopped, misbehaved with and the dharamsala was locked by the administration.”

Mahesh Kumar, general secretary of the association, said a delegation of workers met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Rohtak on Wednesday, where he assured them that their grievances would be addressed. However, he added that employees would not call off the strike until a formal decision is taken regarding their absorption under HKRN and revision of salaries.

“If we are not allowed to go to Chandigarh, we will continue the protest in Karnal,” Mahesh said.