NHM employees unpaid for over two months due to 'branding'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been two-and-a-half months since the salaries of 15,000 employees, from doctors to cleaning staff, of Centre's National Health Mission (NHM), have been suspended. The allocation for this financial year has been blocked due to non-implementation of branding in health centres as per the central directive. The centre proposes to carry out branding including naming the sub-centres as Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandir.

Till December, the salary was paid from the state government allocation, but couldn't pay further due to financial crisis. At least Rs 50 crores is required for branding. The state is of the view that it is not practical in the current situation. But the Centre is of the stand that the allocation will not be granted without completing the branding.

Rs 826 crores should have been received from the central government in four installments for the current financial year. Rs 500 crores should also be paid by the state as soon as this is sanctioned. But the Centre has not sanctioned even a single installment.

Branding

The 5000 sub-centres in the state should be painted yellow, named Ayushman Bharat Arogya Mandir and six logos of the central government should be displayed in front of the centres in a prominent size. Of these, six logos were displayed but the size was reduced.