Arvind Sharma
Jammu Tawi: Over seventeen thousand (17,000) Corona warriors are still waiting for the financial assistance/incentives as the J&K Union Territory (UT) Administration has failed to honor its commitment despite the passage of five (5) months since the announcement was made by the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha on May 03, 2021.
During the peak of second wave of Covid-19, which claimed hundreds of precious lives and infected thousands across the country, the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in May this year, had announced special financial incentives for COVID-19 warriors of Health and Medical Education Department of the J&K Union Territory.
“Despite the passage about five months now, the government, so far, has not intimated us as to how the financial incentives announced by it are to be paid to the frontline COVID-19 warriors of J&K UT,” official sources in the Health and Medical Education Department informed the Northlines while wishing not to be named.
“Facing wrath of the frontline COVID-19 Health Care workers, we have several times written to the concerned authorities that under which head the corona warriors would be paid the financial assistance announced by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor,” they said adding, “so far there is no satisfactory response from the concerned authorities”.
As per the official information accessed by the Northlines, over 17,000 health workers have been categorised by the J&K UT government as the frontline Covid-19 warriors, who would be given special financial assistance for their services in fighting the pandemic under extra-ordinary situation.
The category of frontline warriors includes resident doctors, medical officers, paramedical and nursing staff, drivers and the class IV employees of J&K UT, official sources informed.
They informed the financial incentive was announced as Rs 10,000 per month for resident doctors, PGs and Medical Officers, Rs 7,000 per month for nursing and paramedical staff, and Rs 5,000 per month for Class –IV (i.e. drivers, sweepers and attendants).
The LG had also announced that the tenure of the incentives would initially be for 03 months and would be paid from May 2021 onwards.
Pertinently, in view of surge in Covid spread, the incentive was announced by the UT Lieutenant Governor to boost the morale of frontline Covid-19 warriors who were risking their lives while discharging their duties in treating and dealing with the infected people during the second wave of Covid-19.
