H&ME Deptt disengages all part-time sweepers engaged without due procedure

Srinagar, Nov 4: The Health and Medical Education Department has disengaged all part-time sweepers who were engaged “without due procedure”.

The directive, issued by Deputy Secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department, Shakoor Ahmad, said that the engagement of part-time sweepers in the health institutions lacked proper budget allocation and was not aligned with the current practice of outsourcing sanitation services.

“As a result, the services of these sweepers were continued without a legal basis. The services of these part-time sweepers were continued without any source of funding under any head or budget even though the entire assignment is now being done on an outsourcing basis. Therefore, there is no requirement or legal justification to continue the services of these part-time sweepers,” reads an order.

As per the order issued, to carry out the sanitation works in health institutions, several part-time sweepers were engaged by the subordinate offices without following due procedure for their engagement.

Further, the process of sanitation in the government offices including the Health Department has been outsourced by the government, as a result of which the wages in respect of these part-time sweepers, who were engaged in health institutions remained unpaid due to the non-availability of funds as their engagement was not covered under any regular budget allocation.

Due to the non-availability of remunerations, most of the part-time sweepers filed litigation in the courts for the release of their wages and the court, in the case ‘Mehraj Din Kumar and Others versus Pawan Kotwal and Others’ and in similar other cases, passed directions for release of wages in favour of the petitioners.

“In continuation to this office letter No HD- Legal/187/2023-02 (CC-7220191) dated September 19, 2023, I am directed to advise you to disengage all such part-time sweepers who were engaged without any due and proper procedure forthwith and identify the officers and officials who were responsible for the same so that disciplinary proceeding, as warranted under rules, will be initiated against them for making such engagements without following proper procedure,” reads an order.