Doctors deprived of salaries

Visakhapatnam: Doctors, nurses, ANMs and other staff, who have been appointed for the implementation of Chief Minister Bala Suraksha Yoajana scheme since its inception, were deprived of salaries.

The state government launched the programme, but it’s not paying the salaries on time. With this, as many as 150 staff, who are working since June this year, are eagerly waiting to get their wages and urging the government to pay their dues.  

Bala Suraksha Yojana scheme, which is a joint venture of both the Central and State governments launched in June 2018 across the state as Chief Minister Bala Suraksha scheme.

The main aim of the BSYS is to conduct all medical tests on students of Class I to X students at all the government schools and maintain a digital health data of the students. The Centre is providing financial assistance to the Bala Suraksha Yojana scheme.

In this backdrop, the state government appointed ‘Dhanush Infotech’, an agency, to implement the scheme in the state. The government has recruited doctors, nurses, ANMs, pharmacists, and drivers. The government also procured vehicles and allotted the teams to conduct the medical tests on the students.

The government appointed allopathic doctors at Rs 30,000 per month, Ayush doctor at Rs 22,000 and ANM at Rs 8,500 in the month of May 2018. All the employees have been directed to report to the district medical and health officer of the district concerned.

In Visakhapatnam district, the government appointed 116 doctors and procured 25 vehicles. The entire team was divided into 15 teams and the teams are presently conducting the medical tests on the students of the government schools from Class I to X.

The teams have been conducting medical tests and preparing a medical report on each student and sending the reports to the district medical and health officer.

“Even after four months, no government official is responding to our pleas. Nodal agency Dhanush Infotech, too, is not responding in this regard. The agency is suggesting them to ask the government about the salaries.

When we are asking the medical and health department, the officials are saying that there is no grant or funds to pay the salaries to the Bala Suraksha Scheme,” lamented G Koteswara Rao, General Secretary, CITU, said. The staff are gearing up to launch massive agitation by month end if the government did not respond.