Srinagar, Sep 18 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) has decided to defer its strike following a written assurance from the Health and Medical Education Department on the long-pending demands of NHM employees.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the decision came after a meeting of the JKNHMEA Joint Coordination Committee with Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar on Friday, in the presence of the Mission Director, NHM, and other senior officers.
According to the association, the government has constituted a committee vide order No. PS/HME/058/156 dated September 17, 2026, to examine the issues raised by NHM employees and work out a comprehensive roadmap for addressing their demands.
The association said the process of finalising the roadmap has already commenced, describing the development as a significant step towards resolving the issues that have remained pending for a considerable period.
NHM employees have been pressing for several demands, including pay parity, job security and a policy for regularisation, besides social security measures such as EPF, ESI, insurance coverage and post-retirement support.
The employees had launched a UT-wide agitation earlier this month, with the prolonged protest affecting the functioning of several NHM-supported health programmes and services across Jammu and Kashmir. The agitation was subsequently extended through repeated 72-hour extensions amid demands for a concrete written commitment from the government.
Speaking after the meeting, JKNHMEA Chief Spokesperson Abdul Rauoof said the association decided to defer the proposed strike in view of the written assurance received from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
“The constitution of the committee vide No. PS/HME/058/156 dated 17-09-2026 and the commencement of work on the roadmap are important steps forward. We appreciate the positive intervention of the Health Minister and the officers concerned,” he said.
Rauoof said the decision to defer the strike was based on the government's written commitment and reflected the association's willingness to pursue its demands through dialogue and constructive engagement.
“Our decision to defer the strike is based on the written commitment of the Government and reflects our faith in the process initiated today. NHM employees have always preferred dialogue and constructive engagement,” he said.
Rauoof, however, said the association would continue to monitor the process closely and hoped that the assurances made in writing would be implemented in letter and spirit.
“We sincerely hope that the assurances given in writing will be honoured in letter and spirit and that the roadmap will be finalised and implemented at the earliest,” he added.
The JKNHMEA said it would continue constructive engagement with the government while closely monitoring the progress on the committee's recommendations and the implementation roadmap.
The development comes after days of sustained protests by NHM employees across Jammu and Kashmir, during which employees had repeatedly sought a written assurance and a time-bound mechanism for addressing their long-standing demands—(KNO)