Threatening to go on a strike in the wake of their pending arrears,the nursing staff at the PGI has claimed that the payment of around 700 nurses is due for the last three years. Talking to Newsline,Sweety Nivedita,general secretary,PGI Nursing Welfare Association,said despite several meetings with the officials,no file to get their payments cleared has been moved so far. We were earlier promised that the arrears would be paid to us by December. We waited for the entire month and our files did not move in the accounts section. Now we are being told that the payments would take time. What is the use of governments decision to give the arrears when these are not implemented on the ground? said Nivedita. She added that though some nurses have been paid,majority,including those who were promoted recently,are still seeking their payments. A K Gupta,Deputy Director Administration (DDA),PGI,said process to make the payments is under way and should be over by January 10. He said: In the Sixth Pay Commission,the nurses have been given some special benefits which needed the Centres approval. That is why their cases took a bit longer than all the other employees. We would be making the payments soon.
