<p>Guwahati: Staffs engaged on contract under the National Health Mission (NHM) in Assam on Monday began a three-day-long agitation demanding regularisation of jobs and equal-pay-for-equal-works. </p> <p>Members of All Assam Health and Technical Welfare Association, NHM, Assam, a forum of over 20,000 NHM workers, staged demonstration across the state stating that their future was uncertain given the government's indifference towards the demand for regularisation of their jobs.</p><p>"Since 2006, the NHM workers have been tirelessly working for healthcare across Assam and have played a key role in achieving the targets of reducing infant mortality and maternal mortality in our state. We have received appreciation by the government from time to time including during the Covid-19 pandemic. But our future has remained uncertain given the fact that our jobs have still remained on contract. Many of our workers have even crossed the maximum age limit for other government jobs but our pleas for regularisation has remained neglected," said a statement issued by the association. </p> <p>They have been demanding regularisation of their jobs, introduction of scale pay like other regular government employees, provide gratuity, provident fund, pension benefits, beside others. They also demand that the NHM workers be absorbed directly to fill up the health department's new vacancies.</p> .ASHAs plan to intensify protests, take up even online campaign.<p>An official in the state Health department said the state government could do little regarding regularisation given the fact that NHM is a central government Mission and the staffs were engaged on contract only. "But the state government has provided some benefits like allowing them to get bank loan and others." </p> <p>The association had organised similar protest in 2015 but their demands have remained unfulfilled. The protest has come as worry for the ruling BJP as the state is gearing up for Assembly elections slated early next year. </p>
<p>Guwahati: Staffs engaged on contract under the National Health Mission (NHM) in Assam on Monday began a three-day-long agitation demanding regularisation of jobs and equal-pay-for-equal-works. </p> <p>Members of All Assam Health and Technical Welfare Association, NHM, Assam, a forum of over 20,000 NHM workers, staged demonstration across the state stating that their future was uncertain given the government's indifference towards the demand for regularisation of their jobs.</p><p>"Since 2006, the NHM workers have been tirelessly working for healthcare across Assam and have played a key role in achieving the targets of reducing infant mortality and maternal mortality in our state. We have received appreciation by the government from time to time including during the Covid-19 pandemic. But our future has remained uncertain given the fact that our jobs have still remained on contract. Many of our workers have even crossed the maximum age limit for other government jobs but our pleas for regularisation has remained neglected," said a statement issued by the association. </p> <p>They have been demanding regularisation of their jobs, introduction of scale pay like other regular government employees, provide gratuity, provident fund, pension benefits, beside others. They also demand that the NHM workers be absorbed directly to fill up the health department's new vacancies.</p> .ASHAs plan to intensify protests, take up even online campaign.<p>An official in the state Health department said the state government could do little regarding regularisation given the fact that NHM is a central government Mission and the staffs were engaged on contract only. "But the state government has provided some benefits like allowing them to get bank loan and others." </p> <p>The association had organised similar protest in 2015 but their demands have remained unfulfilled. The protest has come as worry for the ruling BJP as the state is gearing up for Assembly elections slated early next year. </p>