Bijay Charak
Jammu, Aug 25: Notwithstanding Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s claims that the services of contractual, daily wagers, need base workers and daily routine workers would be regularized, around 22 daily wagers in Mechanical Hospital and Centre Heating (MHCH) division of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) have been awaiting regularization for the last 15 years.
Sources informed Early Times that around 120 daily wagers of MHCH division of GMC&H, of which 22 employees have been working at MHCH for more than 15 years, but have not been regularized. “In November 7, 2012 GMCH forwarded a list of 22 employees to Secretary Deptt of Health and Medical Education, seeking regularization of their services, but nothing has been heard from them in last seven years” informed an employee.
“MHCH division is the backbone of GMCH, and associated hospitals including Chest Diseases, Super Specialty Hospital and Shri Maharaja Hari Government Hospital are being catered by the division, but there are only 20 permanent employees including XEN, AEEs, JEEs and clerk are in the vital mechanical wing”, the sources said.
Another employee, who is working in MHCH division for more than last 21 years said, “I completed seven years of service in 2000, as per rule I was to be regularized, but due to department’s apathy, I am still a daily wager even after completing 21 years of service."
Besides the issue of regularization, these employees are not paid salaries regularly. “My 11 months’ salary is pending, which has made life miserable. We are being discriminated within our own division for being daily wagers", he said, adding that the department should release their salaries timely.
“We are looking after maintenance work of lift, gas plant and electrical works, without our services the functioning of the hospital would halt, unfortunately, instead of respecting our round the clock services, we are not being paid as per labour laws”, he added.
When contacted Principal GMCH, Dr Gansham Dev Gupta said that the list of daily wagers who have served more than seven years had been sent to Health and Medical Education department in 2012 for regularization of their services. “After lapse of two years, the reply for same has not been received”, he added. “The issue of salaries of these employees falls within the purview of XEN of division concerned, however, I can will take-up the matter with XEN he said further. |
