Salary hike, Golden Handshake policy among demands; JKNHMEA says repeated assurances yielded no results
Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jul 28 :
The Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) on Tuesday issued a fresh ultimatum to the Jammu and Kashmir government, setting August 15 as the deadline for resolving the long-pending demands of National Health Mission (NHM) employees. The Association warned that it would resume its deferred Union Territory-wide agitation if the government fails to take a concrete decision within the stipulated timeframe.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), JKNHMEA Chief Spokesperson Abdul Rauoof said the Association has exercised restraint for months and consistently opted for dialogue instead of confrontation. However, he said, the ongoing delay in addressing the concerns of thousands of NHM employees has led to growing disappointment across the workforce.
Rauoof said NHM employees had earlier observed a two-day UT-wide strike on April 1 and 2, 2026, demanding a salary hike and the introduction of a comprehensive Golden Handshake Policy for employees retiring under the National Health Mission. “Following the strike, the Association held discussions with Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Masood Itoo, who assured that the government would examine their demands and work towards an early resolution,” he said.
Rauoof said the Association has continued to engage with the authorities through dialogue and recently held a follow-up meeting with NHM Mission Director Akriti Sagar to review the progress made on the proposal concerning the employees’ demands.
According to the Association, the Mission Director informed its delegation that an additional 15 days were required to finalise the proposal before forwarding it to the Administrative Department for further consideration. Respecting this assurance and to facilitate an amicable settlement, the Association has decided to defer any protest programme until August 15.
“We have honoured every assurance given by the government and have shown maximum patience despite prolonged uncertainty. However, if no concrete decision is taken by August 15, we will have no option but to resume our deferred strike and intensify our democratic agitation across Jammu and Kashmir. The responsibility for any disruption will lie entirely with the administration,” Rauoof said.
He asserted that NHM employees have been serving the public healthcare system across Jammu and Kashmir with dedication for years despite working under challenging conditions and deserve financial security and job dignity.
The Association said its demands are genuine and include immediate enhancement of salaries and the formulation of a robust Golden Handshake Policy to provide social and financial protection to retiring NHM employees.
JKNHMEA appealed to the government to act swiftly and honour the commitments made during previous meetings, expressing hope that a positive decision before the August 15 deadline would prevent any disruption to healthcare services and bring an end to the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the future of NHM employees—(KNO)