No salaries for RIMS Hospital outsourcing staff

Srikakulam: The contract and outsourcing employees at government Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Hospital are in a worry as they are not being paid salaries for last two months. RIMS was established by the then Congress government in 2008 with 500 beds strength and later added 250 beds for hospital.

Based on requirement in sanitation wing in 2008, 210 employees appointed, 97 persons as security guards, five persons at sewage treatment plant (STP) and another 130 persons were appointed in different wings as contract and outsourcing staff.

All these employees are being appointed at RIMS through contract companies like Mumbai-based 'A1 Facility and Property Managers' Private Limited', Tirupati-based 'Jai Balaji Security Services Private Limited' and Chennai-based 'Kempura Private Limited.

Contract between RIMS and these three agencies was completed on May 31 this year. Another contract company Sai Sheela and Co based at Tilaru in Srikakulam district, also provided some outsourcing staff at RIMS. This company contract with RIMS was also ended in March this year.

As per rules renewal must before completion of three years contract period or has to enter with another contract company. But so far, any steps towards it were not initiated by the RIMS officials in the wake of change of government at the State level.

As a result, salaries of the staff are not paid for the last two months. "Contract and outsourcing staff are working at RIMS for low salaries even the amount also was not paid by the government," said D Ganesh honorary president of Sanitary Workers and Security Guards Association.

"For the last three years, salaries are not being paid every month regularly to workers but bills for contracting companies paid without any delay which shows how the government is treating workers," said A Aruna of Sanitary Workers Association.