Despite holding degrees and securing jobs through a selection process, National Health Mission (NHM) contract data entry operators (DEOs) are being paid only Rs 15,000—far below Rs 22,750 mandated under GO No. 60, alleged AITUC state deputy general secretary M. Narasimha.
Hyderabad:Despite holding degrees and securing jobs through a selection process, National Health Mission (NHM) contract data entry operators (DEOs) are being paid only Rs 15,000—far below Rs 22,750 mandated under GO No. 60, alleged AITUC state deputy general secretary M. Narasimha. He criticised the NHM authorities for failing to implement the wage order, calling it a clear case of administrative negligence.
Protesting the underpayment, the NHM Contract and Outsourcing Employees Union staged a dharna outside the NHM director’s office in Koti. Union leaders highlighted that DEOs work full-time at primary health centres (PHCs), managing all online administrative tasks, yet continue to receive wages below the government-approved scale. They pointed out that the previous government had already overlooked their demands under GO No. 510 and urged the current administration to rectify this by enforcing GO No. 60.
Protestors expressed frustration over repeated appeals for a salary hike, which they claimed were ignored. “How is it fair that qualified DEOs, despite holding higher education degrees, are forced to work for just `15,000 when the government itself has set a higher pay scale? Authorities must act,” said union state general secretary Rama Rajesh Khanna.
Union representatives met NHM director R.V. Colonel, urging him to intervene. In response, the director assured them that he would forward a proposal to the government to implement GO No. 60 and ensure DEOs receive their rightful wages.
