AGARTALA, Nov 12 (TIWN): CPI-M'a corruption era witnessing mega scam after scams. A serious allegation has come against Tripura health Dept for looting National Health Mission (NHM) funds and this time the accused is none other than Tripura Health Minister Badal Choudhury. Complaints from NHM official has come to TIWN recently about NHM’s pending salaries by the Tripura Govt, with allegation against Tripura Govt for taking loans from NHM funds. A shocking allegation also raised by one TIWN reader against the Health Minister Badal Choudhury for recently purchasing a car with NHM funds by the reader. The contractual employees working in the Health Department under NHM are deprived since 2005, at the very beginning of their jobs.Complaints came from NHM employees that their their monthly salaries are not only very less but there is no pay structure formed by the state govt for the NHMs.

Neither the employees can enjoy increment as state govt employees, nor they have any security, but a larger portion of Tripura Health Service are depending upon the NHMs.

Central Govt increases 5% increment per year and as per norms state govt will share 10% of total  amount. But from few financial years the state govt is not sharing even 2% in the NHM, rather they take loan form NHM.

A complainer (name confidential) told TIWN, :The car that use by our Health Minister was buy from NHM fund( Interest fund). we are demanding pay structure for NHM staffs from last 4 years but the CPI(M) govt never show Sympathies to make any pay structure . State govt formed committee for structure. But till today the govt fail to do anything regarding salary. In this year a structure submitted to Health minister, as per information minister not agree to make any pay structure for NHM staffs.”.

However, recently TIWN talked to the Health Minister Badal Choduhury regarding pay hike of the NHMs. But Choudhury clearly said, “There is no planning to hike NHM’s salaries. Central Govt hikes 5 % every year and that’s all”.

 The NHM workers, who were appointed since 2005 were used in various Depts under the Health Mission, but even after multiple protests, Tripura Govt has not regularized them. Asking state's Health Minister Badal Chowdhury about their regularization, apart from false hopes and central-deprivation's allegation nothing could be heard, but this is the same Govt who violating MHRD's guidelines & Supreme Court's order created 12000 posts just to save illegally recruited 10323 teachers of the state.

Since 2005 the NHM Mission had started in Tripura. In 2007 the NRHM workers had been recruited under (State Health Welfare Society) but we were working for NHM and in 2012 NRHM was modified into NHM and since 2007 many employees were recruited in various depts under Tripura Health Service, but the recruitments were under 11 months' contract. After 11 months the workers are  recontinued by state govt every year

However, it has been long 10 years that the NHM employees are working for the Health Dept but till day Regularization is a dream only. Moreover, the employees are not even getting their wages regularly, which has fueled mass anger among the employees.

At the end of November the NHM employees will go in massive protests, a source said.