AIDS Control Workers in Assam Demand Job Regularization

Guwahati: Employees of  All Assam AIDS Control Employees Association are unhappy with the Assam health department and the National AIDS Control Organisation.

The employees alleged that despite several requests, the organisation and the health department is yet to regularize their jobs and extend health insurance facilities to its workers.

Notably, this allegation comes amid the news of the state health department offering appointment letters to 85 counsellors, lab technicians, data managers, attendants and junior assistants.

A member of All Assam AIDS Control Employees Association said, "the government can at least raise our salaries till the time they regularize our jobs. They can provide us with health insurance scheme like Employees' State Insurance (ESI), Employee's Provident Fund (EPF) etc. The newly appointed employees are given EPF but we are not getting these facilities while we have been working for 15 to 20 years".

He said, "We wish the new employees would not have to go through these problems which we have been facing." 

Another member said, "Earlier there were total around 350 employees and now we are more than 350 but if the government appoint 80 employees again the total number of employees will stand at over 400. And as the number of employees is increasing, we hope now the government will think about us and our issues."

The employees have been working since 2003, and now the working age of many of the employees are fast reaching the retirement age. "We have met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma several times and requested them to look after these issues and to fulfill our demands," one of the employees said.

Earlier, on the World AIDS Day members of the All India AIDS Control Welfare Association (AIACWA) and Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) staged protest the in front of the office of the Project Director of ASACS demanding regularization of their jobs, salary revision and health insurance.

Also Read: AITSAA sent memo to Assam government, demands closure of Ajur Solar Plant

Also Watch: #CandidConversation: Tridiv Hazarika, Spokesperson, OIL, Assam in an exclusive chat with Oineetom Ojah