JAMMU : Expressing deep anguish and serious concern over the whopping delay of 21 months in disbursing salaries to Female Multipurpose Health Workers, National Conference Provincial President Mr Devender Singh Rana on Monday decried insensitivity of the PDP-BJP government towards its minimum basic obligations of governance.

      “We were elated and highly impressed by the announcement made by the State Finance Minister in Legislative Assembly during this year’s budget speech about delinking the disbursement of salaries from the source of funding to ensure timely disbursements but this proved as yet another hoax for which the coalition government is infamous”, Mr Rana said while addressing striking health workers here this afternoon.

      Mr Rana reminded the Finance Minister of his announcement and questioned why the salaries to the regular employees are being withheld. “Doesn’t it occur to the present dispensation how the poor employees and their families must be managing without salaries despite putting hard toil during these difficult times”, he asked.

      Elaborating his point, he quoted the Finance Minister saying that the ‘misery of thousands of people who do an honest day’s job will be memory of the past’ and questioned the chronic delay in transforming his words into reality. He said, indulging in rhetoric and making false promises has become official policy of the present government.

      The Provincial President lauded resilience of the striking employees in braving the brunt of difficult situation and agitating their genuine demands peacefully in a democratic manner and assured that he will take up the issue with the Minister for Health and Medical Education today only. He said the human problem of the hapless employees needed immediate redressal.

      Taking jibe at the PDP-BJP dispensation for gloating on the achievements of the three-years rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Provincial President hoped that the state government will tell the people what it did during the past two and half years. “Unfortunately, they have nothing to speak about”, he said, adding that the governance deficit, developmental inertia and policy paralysis have brought the state to morass, exit from which appears to be remote. He said the government has failed on all fronts, with poor people and working class suffering adversely.

      Wondering over withholding the salaries of those duly selected by the State Recruitment Board and having been working for decades together, Mr Rana said that this being their plight what must be the scenario with those working on daily, contractual or need basis. He decried the PDP-BJP dispensation for making liberal promises and indulging in exploitative politics but failing to deliver on ground. He said as a result of wrong policies and lack of vision, the state is facing a crisis like situation with each segment of society feeling abject neglect.

      “There is no moral authority for the government to remain in office if it cannot assuage the urges and aspirations of those connected with noble professions like health and education”, Mr Rana said, adding that due to policy paralysis the normal activities of the governance have come to grinding halt.

      Mr Rana cautioned the coalition government not to test the patience of striking employees and urged for releasing their salaries at the earliest. He said the disbursement of salaries and wages have to be regulated so that all segments of employees and workers get these on regular basis. “The government cannot starve the poor employees for none of their faults”, he added.

      Soon after interacting with the striking employees, the Provincial President spoke to Minister for Health and Medical Education and urged him to take a call on the striking employees’ demands urgently.

      Earlier, the employees narrated their woes to the Provincial President and sought his indulgence in steering them out of the crisis like situation due to non-disbursement of salaries for the past 21 months.