Telangana: NHM outsourced employees’ wait for salaries continues

Second auxiliary nurse midwives and other employees of the mission express concern that they have not been paid salaries for two months

Adilabad: Outsourced employees of National Health Mission (NHM) working at primary health centres, community health centres and other government-run hospitals are waiting to receive salaries for two months.

Officials said that around 4,000 second auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and other staffers are working across the State under the NHM. Salaries of the second ANMs and other employees is jointly shared by both Union and State governments. While Union government bears 60 per cent of salaries, 40 per cent of the share goes to the State.

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Second ANMs and other employees of the mission expressed concern that they were not paid salaries for two months. They feared that they would be forced to wait one more month to get the salaries. They regretted that they were facing inconvenience due to the delay in getting the salaries.

They urged officials to take steps to release the salaries at the earliest. They said that they were left with no option, but to borrow loans from friends and relatives to meet day-to-day expenditures. They stated that a new policy was being adopted by NHM with the regard to payment of the salaries, causing delay. They added that they were facing job security.

Contract-based employees association leaders said that the State government was mulling to pay the salaries through Society for Elimination of Poverty (SERP). They announced that they would oppose the move if introduced. They demanded the government to pay the salaries every month without delaying.

Officials said that the second ANMs employees were not paid salaries as their salaries were not renewed by both union and State governments resulting in the delay. They stated that steps were being taken to sanction the salaries soon. They concurred that fund crunch of the State government was contributing to the delay of the salaries.