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Regularisation, salary hike demand: Rural health pharmacy officers in Punjab’s Sangrur to hold protest on Jan 25
The rural health pharmacy officers are up in arms against the Aam Aadmi Party’s flagship program Aam Aadmi Clinic.
The rural health pharmacy officers are up in arms against the Aam Aadmi Party’s flagship program Aam Aadmi Clinic. These pharmacy officers are demanding regularisation and salary hike. They have threatened to not join the Aam Aadmi Clinics if their demands are not met and also warned to protest in front of the residence of chief minister Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur on January 25.
Rural health pharmacy officers working in the rural dispensaries in Punjab handed over a memorandum to deputy commissioners of all the districts of Punjab on Monday.
President of the rural health pharmacy officers association Kamaljit Singh said, “Rural Health Pharmacy Officers (RHPO) and Class-IV employees, who have been working on a contract basis in state dispensaries since 2006, are receiving very low pay. Around 1186 RHPOs are getting paid ₹11,000 and Class-IV employees are getting paid ₹6,000 each.”
“Over the past 16 years, no government has made efforts to regularise our employment. Our newly appointed counterparts are receiving salaries of more than ₹30,000” he added.
Chairman of the association Jotram Madnipur said, “We have received orders to join Aam Aadmi Clinics. We are willing to serve in these clinics, but only if the government regularises our employment and increases our pay. If these demands are not met, we will refuse to join these clinics. Deputy Commissioner has assured us to send a memorandum to CM Bhagwant Mann.”
The department of health and family welfare in Punjab has recently sent a letter to all deputy commissioners-cum-chairmen of district health societies and civil surgeons, outlining guidelines for “rationalisation and administrative control” of the human resources posted at SHCs under the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat.
The decision by the Punjab government to “rationalise” staff at Subsidiary Health Centers (SHCs) in the state, to open 400 more Aam Aadmi Clinics on January 27, also met with strong opposition from the medical community and political parties. Critics argue that this move will lead to the transfer of doctors and other staff from SHCs, which serve the rural population.
Jotram said, “Previously, we submitted a memorandum to panchayat minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on January 17, but the government has not provided a positive response to it.” “The RHPO and class-IV employees will demonstrate in front of CM Mann’s residence in Sangrur on January 25. If the government does not meet our demands, we will establish a permanent protest”, added Jotram.
