Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo on Friday termed the ongoing protest by non-gazetted employees of Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) across Jammu and Kashmir justified, saying the government was working on framing recruitment rules and would resolve the issue soon.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar, Itoo acknowledged that the recruitment rules had remained pending for several years and said the matter should have been addressed earlier.
“The protest is justified. The recruitment rules need to be framed immediately as the matter has been pending for the last 10 years,” she said.
The minister said the government was “keenly working” on the issue and was committed to resolving it.
Her statement comes amid an indefinite peaceful protest by non-gazetted employees of GMCs across J&K, who have been demanding the framing of recruitment rules, saying the process has remained pending for years.
The employees had staged protests earlier as well, but said the administration’s silence forced them to resume their agitation.
A protesting employee at GMC Baramulla said the employees had earlier been assured that the issue would be resolved and were given three months to frame the recruitment policy.
“However, the deadline passed without any progress on the matter,” he said.
The employees said the prolonged delay had also hampered fresh recruitment in newly established medical colleges across J&K.
According to them, several institutions are functioning with staff shortages of nearly 50 per cent, increasing the workload on existing employees and potentially affecting healthcare services and patient care.
With the Health Minister acknowledging their concerns and assuring that the government is working to resolve the issue, the protesters are now hoping for a time-bound resolution to the long-pending demand.
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