Port Blair, August 20: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma,MP A&N Islands has requested the Chief Secretary of A&N Administration, for the removal of disparity in monthly remuneration of contractual Staff Nurses employed under National Health Mission.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary the MP pointed out that as per the issue brought up it seems that the Staff Nurses who are employed under National Health Mission (MHM) are aggrieved from the payment of meager monthly salary of Rs.16,000/-( sixteen thousand).
“Staff Nurses appointed on contractual basis under NHM a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Government of India are posted at various Primary Health Center, Community Health Center etc. of the Directorate of Health Services, Andaman and Nicobar Administration and are assigned duties congenial to the regular Staff Nurses. Whereas when it comes to payment of monthly remuneration, for the regular Staff Nurses appointed in the Level 7 of the Seventh Pay Commission pay matrix have minimum basic pay of Rs.44,900/- along with other benefits,” the MP mentioned.
The MP added that following the analogy of ‘Equal pay for Equal Work’ and to commensurate with the nature of work entrusted to the Staff Nurses, (ANIMS) has proposed monthly payment of Rs.40,000/-to the newly recruited Staff Nurses. It pertinent to mention that in order to eliminate disparity in payment being made to the casual workers and the regular employees in which both being entrusted with same nature of work, the Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Goverment of India has issued specific instructions to pay at minimum of the relevant pay scale plus dearness allowance for work of 8(eight) hours a day to the casual workers where the nature of work entrusted to the casual workers and regular employees is the same.
“Since, the contractual Staff Nurses employed under NHM and the regular Staff Nurses of Directorate of Health Services both are entrusted with same nature of work and employed in the PHC CHC & other health centers and hospitals, it is requested that the monthly remuneration of the Staff Nurses employed on contractual (casual) basis under NHM may kindly be enhanced,” the MP added.