Srinagar, May 28 (IANS): In a major development, the J&K government on Friday obtained approval from the government of India for a substantial hike in the salary of employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) in the Union Territory.

The J&K government has been conveyed about the approval received for the Programme Implementation Plan for FY 2021-22 that was projected by the UT government to boost the morale of the employees who have been working tirelessly in curb the spread of Covid-19.

As per the approval accorded by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in addition to the annual increment budget of 5 per cent, for the first time an additional increment of about 12 per cent has been approved as hike in salary for NHM employees through restructuring and rationalisation process.

"The exact amount of individual increment in this regard shall be notified shortly by the executive committee of the State Health Society headed by Financial Commissioner Atal Dulloo," Mohammed Yasin Choudhary, Mission Director, NHM, J&K, said, adding that the salary hike, particularly salary revision, was one of the long pending demands of NHM employees working in the UT.

"It was under the consideration of the government and was actively pursued by the UT administration in the National Programme Coordination Committee meeting for FY 2021-22 with the Union Health Ministry.

"In these unprecedented and challenging times of the pandemic, Covid warriors, including NHM employees, have risen to the challenge and are effectively and selflessly providing holistic healthcare services to counter the spread of coronavirus," Choudhary said.

It is pertinent to mention that the Jammu and Kashmir government had also recently announced grant of loyalty bonus for contractual staff of the National Health Mission for the financial year 2020-21.