NRHM staff hold protest

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, June 7

A large number of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) employees from all over the state held a protest in Health Minister’s town Fazilka today. They were demanding regularisation of their services. They raised anti-government slogans and alleged that they were being subjected to step-motherly treatment.

Elaborate police arrangements were made around Pratap Bagh, the venue of the protest. The contingent of Punjab Police, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Gurmeet Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police Baljit Singh, foiled the attempt of the employees to gherao the residence of local MLA and Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani. The employees were not able to take out a protest procession in the bazaars due to the presence of the police.

Kiranjit Kaur, who came from Ludhiana, said the government had back-tracked from its promise of giving them an increased pay scale. The employees claimed that the state government had passed a resolution regarding the regularisation of services of auxiliary nurse midwives a few years ago but had failed to implement it.

Besides this, they are also demanding that the NHRM employees be adjusted against the vacant posts in the state Health Department.