Contract staff cannot be made permanent employees: Minister

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru:

The contractual and outsourced employees of the state health department from across the state protested on Thursday at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. They had put forth several demands through the Karnataka State Health Contractual and Outsourced Employees’ Association (KSHCOEA). Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar while addressing the health workers said the government has no intentions of regularising the staff. "No contract or outsourced staff can become government employees." Health workers had assembled in large numbers in spite of the rain and implored them to understand the state’s financial situation.

“Had this been an exclusive program of the state government, we could have passed orders immediately. The National Health Mission, under which many of you are employed, included both the Centre and the state government,” he said and added that he convened a meeting with the Health Department’s Principal Secretary, Commissioner and the Mission Director of the National Health Mission earlier on Thursday and discussed the demands with them.

“The system of outsourcing has been prevalent for over fifteen years now in all departments. It was introduced to reduce the financial burden on the state’s exchequer as permanent employees need to be paid all allowances and pension,” the minister said.

He promised the workers of job security by saying that none of them could be removed by officials at the taluk or district levels. “You have agreed to all the terms in the contract,” he remarked and added that the current demands were justified. He also said that the group insurance facility would be extended to health workers.

The President of KSHCOEA Vishawaradhya H Y said that about 8,000 workers had assembled for the protest. He added that the association has withdrawn the dissent and will wait for the orders that were promised. "In case our demands are not met, we will be agitating again on July 15,' he said.

The workers demanded a 15% hike in wages and other facilities. A transfer policy that allowed them to take up at least one posting in the district of their choice, the removal of the periodic revaluation, and relaxation in the age limit were some of the 19 demands.