Srinagar, Nov 07 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir Government has sanctioned a 5% annual increment for eligible contractual employees engaged under the National Health Mission (NHM) for the financial year 2026-27, a move that will benefit thousands of healthcare workers across the Union Territory.
However, the announcement has drawn a lukewarm response from NHM employees' representatives, who have termed the increment a routine annual exercise rather than any special concession, reiterating their demand for salary enhancement, job security and other service-related benefits.
According to an order issued by the Mission Director, NHM J&K, a copy of which was accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the increment will be applicable to eligible contractual employees working at the State, Divisional, District and Block levels, including those engaged under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and various disease control programmes.
The order states that the sanction has been accorded in pursuance of the approval of the NHM State Programme Implementation Plan (SPIP) 2026-27 for Jammu and Kashmir, conveyed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June 19, 2026.
As per the notified schedule, contractual employees who completed one year of service on or before March 31, 2026, will be entitled to the increment with effect from April 1, 2026.
Similarly, employees completing one year of service between April 1 and September 30, 2026, will receive the benefit from October 1, 2026, while those completing one year of service after September 30, 2026, will become eligible from April 1, 2027.
The order further directs the concerned Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and Controlling Officers to extend the benefit only to eligible contractual employees after verifying their qualifying service and satisfactory performance in accordance with the applicable NHM guidelines.
Meanwhile, reacting to the order, JKNHMEAK Chief Spokesperson Abdul Rauoof rejected the government's claims of fulfilling its commitments towards NHM employees, saying the 5 percent increment was part of the routine annual budgetary framework and should not be projected as a special achievement.
He said the annual increment was already incorporated into the NHM budgetary framework approved by the Government of India and did not address the broader concerns of employees who have been demanding better service conditions for years.
"NHM employees are still waiting for meaningful decisions on salary enhancement, equal pay for equal work, job security, social security and retirement benefits. A routine annual increment cannot be considered a substitute for these long-pending demands," he said.
Rauoof particularly appealed to Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo to recall the meeting held on September 18, 2026, in her Civil Secretariat chamber in Srinagar with representatives of the JKNHMEA Joint Coordination Committee, during which several employee-related issues were discussed and assurances were reportedly extended.
He said employees were expecting concrete decisions following the meeting but were disappointed over the continued delay in addressing their grievances.
"Government must honour the commitments made during that meeting instead of expecting NHM employees to remain silent indefinitely. The continued delay, despite repeated assurances, is pushing employees towards the streets once again. We do not want confrontation, but the patience of NHM employees is not unlimited," he said.
The JKNHMEAK spokesperson urged the government and the Health and Medical Education Department to take concrete steps towards resolving the employees' demands, warning that continued inaction could leave them with no option but to resume democratic and peaceful protests to secure their legitimate rights.
He maintained that NHM employees, who have been contributing to the healthcare delivery system across Jammu and Kashmir, deserve a comprehensive policy addressing their financial and service-related concerns rather than periodic assurances—(KNO)