29 nurses move HC over salary deduction by govt

Nagpur: Around 29 nurses knocked the doors of Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court after the Maharashtra government reduced their salaries. The Supreme Court on Friday last had flayed the Delhi civic body for reducing wages of doctors treating Covid-19 patients.
The SC stated that the country can’t afford to have “dissatisfied soldiers” in the war against the pandemic, and asked authorities there to go extra mile to raise funds for them.
A division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Amit Borkar issued notices to the state government and others, asking them to reply by August 4 when the petition would be taken for the final disposal. The other respondents are state public health department secretary, director of health services in Mumbai and deputy director in city. Additional government pleader Deepak Thakre accepted the notice on the state’s behalf.
“The petitioners are already working on the nurses’ posts on a temporary basis. However, their salary has been reduced, which is their grievance,” the judges said.
Komal Shinde and others through counsel Siddhant Shinde contended that they were serving as bonded nurse staff against vacant permanent posts in various government hospitals. Though their service is on a temporary basis, they were performing same duties as of permanent staff having same qualifications.
In the orders of their recruitment, their pay grade is fixed without no condition on any reduction.
On March 17, the government passed a resolution (GR) revising remuneration of temporary employees, including nurses. On April 29, another GR was issued for revising the salaries of temporary staff nurses to Rs25,000 per month, which according to them is half of what was promised in their appointment orders.
They contended that the government move was demotivating as they too risk their lives while performing the duties.
The government had included temporary doctors in the GRs ambit but later excluded them and limited it to other health care workers who are also fighting the deadly virus with the same spirit while facing same risk.
According to petitioner, the GRs of March 17 and April 29 violated Articles 14, 38 and 39 of the Constitution of India, as those deny them equal opportunity in public employment. They prayed for quashing of both GRs or staying their effect.