RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan.19: Amid the third wave of corona pandemic over 1700 multipurpose workers (MPWs), who are supposed to be the backbone of the health system in Jharkhand, have again started their agitation for revision of their honorarium not revised for last more than five years.
They are getting a consolidated amount of Rs 15,123 for their work since 2016 and thus they want their honorarium to be revised and increased enough to ensure their proper survival with their family members.
To draw attention of authority towards their problem they are performing their work with placards carrying their demand of increasing honorarium in their hands. This is the third day of their agitation.
President of Jharkhand MPW Karmachari Sangh Pawan Kumar said that during the corona pandemic they are giving their best but the health department has not paid any attention to their problem though earlier several positive steps were taken for their benefit.
“During the BJP government, a decision for regularization of our service was taken in the last cabinet meeting but so far nothing has been done. Earlier over 80 MLAs and MPs of the state have also written for our regularization but the reason best known to the government is that no one is paying attention to our problem,” Kumar said.
An official of the health department admitted the problem saying MPWs have been appointed on contract basis and thus all the problems are coming.
“An employee appointed on contract basis cannot claim for service regularization. As far as revision of their honorarium is concerned, the government is planning for the same,” the employee said.
On which working president of the organization Sanjay Kumar said MPWs have been working since 2008 and it is not expected from the government of a welfare state to give payment of a contract employee for a job of permanent nature.
“The Government should do something for us,” Kumar said.
Services of MPWs are taken for sample collection, contract tracing, immunisation, data entry, mosquito net distribution, DDT spray besides other works and are considered as grass root workers of the health department.
