Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Jan 6: Jaleel Ibrahim, a union laboratory technical officer at a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Natekal of the taluk, has begun a protest in front of the deputy commissioner's (DC) office in the city against the non-payment of his salary for the past six months.

In his letter released to the press, Jaleel says, “I have been working as a junior laboratory technical officer at PHC Natekal since 22 years (regular for 15 years, on contract for seven years). I neither have any departmental inquiry pending against me nor am I absent from work. Even then, a medical officer who was newly recruited only six months ago at Natekal PHC has withheld my salary giving lame excuses. And this is despite enough grants being available.

Jaleel also says that he has appealed to the DC, the district health and family welfare officer, Dakshina Kannada Commissioner, director of Health and family welfare department several times. He claims that though the district health and family welfare officer of DK had instructed the medical officer of Natekal to release his salary, it was not being paid to unnecessarily harass him.

Jaleel has lamented that due to this his family was in dire straits with him finding it difficult to afford the education of my children. His health has also deteriorated because of this situation, he adds.

He has warned the district health department and the district administration if his health went down further they would have to bear the responsibility for the same.