Health workers come face to face with cops in bid to gherao CM’s residence

The National Health Mission Employees and police came face to face after the NHM employees broke the barricades in attempt to gherao the CM residence in Kurukshetra on Sunday evening.

A large number of NHM employees under the banner of the Swasthya Karamchari Sangh affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, reached Kurukshetra to hold a demonstration in support of their long-pending demands and gherao the CM’s residence in Kurukshetra.

The NHM employees raised slogans against the government and in support of their long-pending demands.

The demands included regularisation policy, release of pending dearness allowance (DA) for January and July 2024 as per the NHM Service Rules 2018 (Sixth Pay Commission), and the implementation of Seventh Pay Commission benefits. They also demanded that the strike and agitation periods from 2017 to 2024 be counted as duty periods, with salaries released accordingly. The employees also demanded LTC and gratuity benefits.

However, they were stopped at the police barricades, and a delegation of the NHM employees were invited for talk at the CM camp office. But after the talks failed, the employees started breaking the barricades following which the police used water cannons, teargas and also used mild force to disperse them in which some NHM employees also suffered injuries.

The NHM employees’ leaders said the service bylaws were frozen and they were not getting the benefits. The NHM employees performed duties with dedication and they had helped in improving the health condition and parametres in the state. They remained dedicated to public service, even during during the Covid-19 pandemic, performed high risk jobs and yet they were being exploited. The regular employees were getting all benefits while the NHM employees were being deprived of their rights.

The agitating women employees said they were cane-charged and action should be taken against the police officials who ordered the action.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Neha Singh reached the spot and managed to pacify the protesters. They submitted a memorandum to the DC after getting an assurance of a meeting at the CM office in Chandigarh on Monday.

Vipin Sharma, state president of the Sangh, said “The NHM employees have been struggling to get their genuine demands fulfilled but the government has been paying no attention. The employees are being forced to take some strict action. Further decision will be taken after the meeting.”