Assam: NHM Contract Staff Face Salary Cuts For Protesting Against Govt

Contractual staff of Assam’s National Health Mission (NHM) are outraged after being told that their salaries will be deducted for taking part in protests against the government.

An email, sent from hmhmassam@gmail.com, on November 29 instructed district officials to deduct three days’ pay for doctors, nurses, and other health staff, and seven days’ pay for non-medical staff, for the period from October 21 to November 20, 2025.

The email however clarified that the deductions would not apply to employees who had not participated in any protests or those who were on leave.

Notably, the staff had staged protests from October 29 to November 12, demanding equal pay for equal work, inclusion under social security schemes like ESI and EPF, proper gratuity arrangements, and resolution of financial difficulties related to earned leave.

Even during the protests, emergency services continued uninterrupted, including during district-level strikes from November 3 to 5. Employees, however, say they are being unfairly punished for speaking up.

Around 26,000 NHM contract workers across the state are affected by the decision. Many have worked for years, sometimes alongside permanent staff, but earn 40-45% less than them and have little job security. Employees say this move violates their right to protest and is unfair compared to other departments where similar actions do not result in pay cuts.

During the protests, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had indicated in Nagaon on November 11 that discussions could not take place while the agitation continued. So, understanding this, the NHM contractual staff had suspended their protest on November 12, hoping to be called for talks.

However, no positive response came from the Chief Minister’s office. Instead, the email from the NHM Human Resource Department instructed salary deductions for those who had participated in the protests.

Currently, around 19,845 out of approximately 26,000 sanctioned NHM contract positions are filled, including 2,600 program management staff. Many have served for 18–20 years without job security, and undoubtedly, this abrupt salary deduction has caused discontent among them.

The affected NHM contract staff claim that their agitation was a legitimate effort to secure their due rights and fair treatment, and the recent salary deductions are nothing but a betrayal by the government. They are now demanding that these deductions be reversed and their grievances addressed.

Also Read: NHM Employees Urge Govt: "Fulfill Our Demands or Protests Will Intensify"