SRINAGAR: Employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) have voiced strong resentment over the prolonged delay in the release of their salaries, despite funds having already been disbursed to the district level.
President of the NHM Employees Association, Muneer Andrabi, said that while government funds have reached the districts, employees continue to face severe financial distress due to non-payment of salaries for over three months. “We have been on the frontlines, performing our duties diligently even in the most challenging circumstances. Yet, we are being treated unfairly,” he said.
Andrabi added that the delay has left many workers struggling to manage household expenses, especially with the festival season approaching. “With Diwali fast approaching, we are still awaiting our monthly wages, which have been pending for over three months now,” he said.
Another NHM employee described the gravity of the situation, saying many are unable to afford daily transport to their workplaces. “At times, we don’t even have fare to reach our workplace. Despite repeated appeals to the authorities, our pleas have gone unheard,” the employee said.
The employees have urged the Secretary of Health and the Mission Director (MD) of NHM to personally intervene and resolve the matter. They questioned why salaries remain withheld when funds have already been released to district-level offices.
Expressing hope that senior officials will act promptly, the employees appealed to the administration not to neglect the workforce that played a vital role during health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. “We urge the administration not to disappoint the workforce that has stood strong during every health crisis,” they added.
