No succor to Mech NBWs: Minister directs to disengage them

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 25: There is no succor to about 102 Mechanical Need Based Workers (NBWs) who have been on strike since September 15, as in an emergency meeting conducted on Saturday to review the functioning of Government Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), Jammu, Health and Medical Education Minister, Bali Bhagat directed the Principal, Government Medical College (GMCH) and Hospital, Jammu not to take the services of these NBWs and disengaged all of them.
According to the reliable sources, the meeting came up after the pressure from the Union Health Minister, JP Nadda, who took cognizance of the News item published in Daily Excelsior on September 17 regarding suspension of various essential services in SSH Jammu due to the strike of Mechanical NBWs.
“After lengthy deliberations as well as allegations and counter allegations by Xen, Mechanical Division and Principal, GMCH Jammu, for blaming each other on engaging these NBWs and hitting of essential services in SSH after the strike of these NBWs, the Minister directed that all the NBWs engaged by the Mechanical Division (MD) be disengaged.
“Clarifying that no funds will be released by the department in favour of the pending wages of these NBWs because there is no defined wage head, the Minister asked the Mechanical Division to project only works related liability for clearance and put it forward to Finance department”, sources said.
Sources further revealed that the Minister also ordered Medical Superintendent of SSH, Dr AD Singh, to train their staff with the help of Mechanical division so that mechanical works can be done independently. The Principal GMCH was also asked to project the actual manpower required for smooth functioning of Medical College and its associated hospitals so that such posts can be projected financially.
Further, it was directed that available 560 posts in various cadre for allied and supporting staff be advertized and posts for mechanized skilled workers be outnumbered as per requirement and outsource immediately.
The Minister also ordered Mechanical Department to conduct a probe into the alleged unaccountable acts done by previous Xen of the department for which he was attached to the office of Chief Engineer, Mechanical Engineering Department.
The sources further disclosed that the Minister pulled up the enquiry committee formed by Principal GMCH Jammu to enquire into the matter of sudden failure of water pump house in SSH Jammu due to breakage of pipes and logging of water, creation of Mechanical Division and its staff distribution, loss of property in water pump house, number of need based workers engaged by MH&CH Division, in SSH including other hospitals and wages distributed to need based workers, which failed to submit its report, and ordered to finish the enquiry within a week’s time and submit the same to the Government.

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