Guwahati: About 1,200 contractual employees of Assam’s National Health Mission (NHM) face immediate exit after the authorities early this week enforced a retirement age of 60 for staff who have continued in service beyond the prescribed limit.NHM Assam has more than 18,000 contractual employees. The order affects employees aged between 60 and 70 who are currently serving under the state health department.An NHM Assam executive committee meeting in 2017 had raised the retirement age from 60 to 70. However, following a Cabinet decision in 2021, the state govt fixed the retirement age for contractual NHM employees at 60.The 2021 decision also provided for casual leave, earned leave, maternity leave and other leave benefits, as well as gratuity, on a par with regular employees of the state health department.Employees who continued working after turning 60 are now being asked to leave without receiving the benefits promised under the decision.“It has come to the notice that few NHM employees are continuing in job unauthorisedly even after attaining 60 years, which is in violation of the above govt notification. Hence, it is hereby ordered that all such NHM employees who have attained 60 years of age should not continue in the contractual employment and are deemed to have superannuated,” the order said.The directive has come into effect immediately. Joint directors of health services in all districts have been asked to discontinue the services of employees who have crossed the age limit and submit compliance reports.Employees, under the banner of the All Assam Health and Technical Welfare Association, NHM, Assam, have opposed the move.“Reducing the retirement age to 60 is a major setback for NHM employees, especially when we have not got benefits such as gratuity, earned leave encashment, pension or provident fund. If the govt intends to retire us at 60, it should also ensure that we receive all the benefits that we have been deprived of during our years of service,” said Ashraf Uddin Ansary, chief adviser of the association.
