Port Blair, Aug 20: The Staff Nurses employed under National Health Mission (MHM) being aggrieved from payment of meagre monthly remuneration of Rs.16, 000/-(sixteen thousand) have approached the Member of Parliament for redressal of their grievances.

Taking up the matter with the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, the Member of Parliament, Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma informed that the Staff Nurses appointed on contractual basis under the National Health Mission (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. They are entrusted with duties and responsibilities similar to that assigned to the regular Staff Nurses of the Directorate of Health Services. Whereas when it comes to payment of monthly remuneration, the regular Staff Nurses of Directorate of Health Services are appointed in the Level 7 of the Seventh Pay Commission pay matrix having a minimum basic pay of Rs. 44,900/- plus Dearness allowance and other perks, whereas the Staff Nurses employed  under NHM on contractual basis are paid Rs.16,000/- per month. However both are being entrusted with same nature of work.

Kuldeep said, “It is imperative to mention that by following the analogy of 'Equal pay for Equal Work' and to commensurate with the nature of work and extent of duties entrusted to the Staff Nurses,  the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Science (ANIIMS) has proposed  monthly payment of Rs. 40,000/- to the newly recruited Staff Nurses”.

In order to eliminate disparity in payment being made to the casual workers and the regular employees both entrusted with same nature of work, the Department of Personnel & Training , Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Government of India vide Office Memorandum No.49014/1/2017- Estt.(C)pf. dated 04.09.2019 (copy enclosed at annexure 'A') 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 centres and hospitals of Directorate of Health Services of Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Kuldeep requested that the monthly remuneration of the Staff Nurses employed on contractual (casual) basis under NHM may be enhanced.

The MP further brought it to the notice of the Chief Secretary that by following the doctrine of "Equal pay for Equal Work" the monthly remuneration of Medical Officers (Allopathy) employed on contractual basis under NHM was increased to Rs.1, 20,000/- during the year 2018 at par with the monthly emolument paid to regular Medical Officers of Directorate of Health Services.