Three outsource employees fired from Health services in Himachal: They blame Secretary Health to use them as domestic aides 

Himachal Pradesh Congress Government was in another embarrassment over its flamboyant bureaucracy as Health Secretary of State and Senior IAS officer M. Sudha Devi was accused by the three outsourced employees to work in her houses, the trio were also fired immediately allegedly for refusing to work as domestic aides.

Interestingly the IAS denied the allegation and proceeded on leave after the controversy brewed further. A day later three employees serving as domestic aides in the residence of IAS were fired and hired through a private company. 

The Mission Director on August issued a letter to M/S Saraswati Dot Com. Pvt Lt, Kasumpiti Shimla -9 copy of which is with us. The letter informed the firm that the engagement of Helper – cum – Class – IV employees  Sohan Lal, Anil Kumar, and Smt. Neena should be replaced within two days. The MD said that these employees are hired as helper cum Class-IV employees on an outsourcing basis at the disposal of Secretary (Health) Ms. M Sudha Devi. 

The officer further said that reportedly higher authorities found the performance of Sohan Lal, Anil Kumar, and Smt Neena were unsatisfactory and dereliction of duty in the office of the Secretary. Health. As such, they are hereby relieved from their duty on the Afternoon of  August 2023. 

The left trade Union CITU which has a strong base among various working class fumed over the exploitation and victimization warned to hold statewide demonstrations on August 9 for seeking immediate reinstatement of the jobs of the three outsourced workers who were fired from the NHM in a dictatorial manner by the health secretary. According to CITU fired employees appeared to be forced to do the work of the Health Secretary’s house. These workers had to work from dawn to dusk on the honorarium of NHM. 

Dr Kashmir Singh Thakur National Secretary of CITU said in a convention held at Kalibari hall of the CITU today that government should conduct a probe over the incident of firing outsourced employees. He said that the role of outsourced employees has been exemplary during the Corona period. For the last fifteen years, outsourced workers have been playing a very important role in the smooth functioning of state government departments, but their condition remains pathetic. Despite taking equal work from outsourced workers to regular employees, they are paid extremely low wages, which sometimes do not reach them even for months. 

Opposition BJP spokesperson in the state Vivek Sharma said that three employees of NHM, including a woman, who is working on contract, have leveled serious allegations against the Health Secretary in Himachal Pradesh Government.  In this context, he has also claimed to present his complaint before the Chief Minister and Health Minister of the state. Even after that, no clarification has come from the government. 

The successive government was alluring the outsource employees to frame and policy for their regularization however according state secretary of CITU Mr Vajinder Mehra 

about 1800 outsource employees in the Health Department were laid off and recently thousands of employees hired by the Jal Shakti and other departments were also laid off.

The CITU said that around 30,000 employees many of them serving for the last 20 yrs on outsourcing should be given regular appointments and the exploitation being done of some of the employees and being victimized by terminating their service on the whim and fancy of bureaucracy should be ended.