Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association has given the Union Territory Government time until August 15, 2026 to resolve long pending demands relating to salary revision and a Golden Handshake Policy for retired employees, warning that it will resume a previously deferred strike if no concrete decision is reached by then.
The Association recalled that NHM employees had observed a two day Union Territory wide strike on April 2, 2026, pressing for a salary hike and the formulation of a comprehensive retirement policy for staff exiting the National Health Mission cadre. Following that strike, the Health and Medical Education Minister assured the Association that the government would take positive steps to address the outstanding issues, a commitment that has shaped the Association’s decision to hold off on further agitation until now.
A follow up meeting between the Association and NHM Mission Director Akriti Sagar reportedly indicated that an additional fifteen days were required to finalise and submit the relevant proposal to the Administrative Department, a timeline the Association says it has chosen to respect in the interest of maintaining dialogue with the government. Extending the deadline to August 15 reflects that spirit of accommodation, even as the Association makes clear its patience is not indefinite.
Should the government fail to act within the stipulated period, the Association has warned it will resume its deferred strike and intensify what it describes as a democratic agitation across Jammu and Kashmir, a move that would affect National Health Mission services relied upon heavily in rural and underserved parts of the Union Territory.
Speaking on behalf of the Association, its Chief Spokesperson said the body had consistently preferred dialogue over confrontation and had honoured every assurance extended by the government so far. He urged the administration to approve the proposed salary enhancement and finalise a comprehensive Golden Handshake Policy without further delay, arguing that doing so was essential to ensuring financial security and dignity for employees who have often served for extended periods under contractual or mission mode arrangements rather than permanent government service.
The Association expressed hope that the government would act before the extended deadline lapses, allowing healthcare delivery across the Union Territory to continue without disruption. National Health Mission staff form a critical part of Jammu and Kashmir’s primary healthcare workforce, and any resumption of strike action carries the potential to affect service delivery in health centres across both the Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
