Mangaluru, Jul 24: Accusing the communal forces of seizing the opportunity of recent stabbing incidents in his constituency, Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader said that instead of staging protests such people could help the police in tracing the culprits.
Responding to a query of media persons in the city on Friday about the recent protests organised by Hindutva outfits against him, the minister replied that he would urge groups that were staging protest demonstrations against the recent incidents of stabbing to help the police find those involved those acts.
“What is the use of staging such protests? People of the area know me very well. I continue to do my work for the people. I am no way disturbed over protests against me,” Mr. Khader said.
He said he held a meeting with Police Commissioner S. Murugan. “So far they have not succeeded. We need to support the police in catching those who are trying to create a discord among communities,” Mr. Khader said.
650 AYUSH doctors
Mr Khader said, the State government will start the process of appointing 650 AYUSH doctors at primary health centres by August-end and each of them will be paid a salary of Rs. 25,000.
He said that priority would be given to 587 AYUSH doctors, who were now working on contract basis at PHCs under the National Rural Health Mission since 2006. Finding their salary of Rs. 15,000 as meagre compared to what was being paid to those working in the department, Mr. Khader said the government had proposed to the Centre to grant money to hike it.
The Union government, however, Mr. Khader said, refused to hike it by more than 5 per cent. Instead, the Minister said, the Centre asked the State to re-advertise for 650 posts of AYUSH doctors, including the 587 existing posts, by paying them Rs. 25,000 a month. “We explained this to the protesting doctors. I have also assured them of considering their application during the fresh process of appointment,” Mr. Khader said. The protesters have withdrawn their strike, he said.
Mr. Khader said he had sought reports from district health officers evaluating the services of each of these doctors. “We will then re-advertise for 650 posts. Rules will be framed to give preference to those who have been working in the PHCs.”
Mr. Khader said his department was also working on ways to make use of the services of 67 AYUSH doctors, who had been working for the past nine years in the vacant MBBS posts.
On the allegation of AYUSH doctors that those deputed for health check-up of students under the Rashtriya Bala Swastya Yojana were not being paid Rs. 28,000, Mr. Khader said this was because of the absence of grant from the Centre.
“Though they agreed for the proposal of Rs. 28,000, the amount that was released was by calculating salary at the rate of Rs. 15,000,” he said.
Comments
Add new comment