Employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) continue to face multiple challenges, including a lack of job security, delayed salaries, slow regularisation of technical staff, and the complete absence of regularisation for non-technical employees.

The situation has become even more difficult as salaries for the past two months have not been disbursed to the 3,337 employees working under the NHM in Arunachal Pradesh, causing considerable financial hardship for them and their families. Despite repeated representations to the state government, employees say their grievances remain unresolved.

While the regularisation of technical staff has begun, the process is progressing at a sluggish pace. Non-technical employees, on the other hand, have not been regularised at all despite years of dedicated service. What is particularly concerning is that some NHM employees who joined when the mission was launched in Arunachal in 2005 continue to work on a contractual basis even after nearly two decades.

The Arunachal Pradesh NHM Employees’ Association has put forward several reasonable demands. These include timely disbursement of salaries on the first day of every month, absorption of long-serving employees into regular government service, introduction of a comprehensive service benefit scheme (CSBS) for non-technical staff, and formulation of a clear policy to safeguard the interests of long-serving contractual employees. These demands deserve serious consideration and must be addressed with sincerity and commitment by the government.

NHM employees play a vital role in sustaining Arunachal’s healthcare system. However, prolonged contractual employment, uncertainty over regularisation, and recurring salary delays continue to affect their morale, productivity, and financial security. It is imperative that the government acts swiftly to provide these employees with the stability and recognition they have earned through years of dedicated service.