Nabarangpur: Laid-off Health Workers Stage Protest

Nabrangpur: As many as 196 contractual health workers in Nabarangpur staged a dharna in front of the Collector’s office on Tuesday over their termination from work in the middle of their official tenure.

They demanded that the district administration should reengage and allow them complete their full tenure.

According to reports, following the Covid-19 pandemic, 196 health workers in Nabarangpur were hired for three months to serve the infected patients. However they were discontinued after completing just 38 days of their fixed term.

“We were even assured for an extension of our job contract after the completion of the three-month tenure. But we are clueless why we were not allowed to even complete the tenure and laid off untimely without any cause and notice,” stated a protestor.

“We had taken up the matter with the Collector on September 21. He had assured us to take up the matter with the higher authorities and ensure our reengagement, but without any avail. We sat on a dharna again on September 25 followed by a written statement from the Chief District Magistrate (CDM) that we will be reengaged within 7 days. Since then though 12 days have passed, no action has been taken as yet,” she rued.

“We strongly condemn the false assurance and apathy of the administration. We are trained people and have the required qualification to continue with the job. We will sit on an indefinite dharna till our demands are met,” another protestor said.