Wasn't aware of NPA notification: Himachal Minister Dhani Ram Shandil

Shimla, May 26

Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil was not aware of the notification issued by the government to withdraw the non-practising allowance (NPA) to doctors to be appointed in future and read about it in newspapers.

Shandil, while talking to mediapersons here today, said, “No such proposal on any file or through any official channel has come to me yet. I have read about it only in some newspapers.” When told that a notification had already been issued in this regard, he said it was not in his knowledge.

“Who has issued the notification?” he enquired from the officials accompany him. The issue was discussed in the last Cabinet meeting and the Finance Department issued the notification to this effect on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) has decided to wear black badges from Saturday and hold a pen-down strike till 11 am from Monday if the decision to stop the NPA was not withdrawn. The HMOA today shot off a letter to the Secretary, Health, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the notification.

It said, “The NPA is given to medical officers to prevent brain drain and compensate them for their longer study period. The Central Government and states gave the NPA in public interest. Its withdrawal amounts to injustice to medical officers and the decision should be taken back immediately.”