Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, April 1

The government said on Wednesday that it is processing the release of pending salaries for hundreds of health care workers who were hired on a contractual basis during the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly three years after their services ended.

The Health and Medical Education Department said the move follows directions from the Supreme Court of India, which ordered that payments be made to the disengaged staff.

In a written reply to a lawmaker’s question, the department said it was reviewing claims from doctors, paramedical staff and other workers who had been deployed in temporary Covid care facilities in Srinagar and Jammu.

Many of the workers, officials said, continued to serve beyond the official end of their contracts in December 2022, remaining on duty until mid-April 2023 because of ongoing public health needs.

Authorities said they had collected attendance and work records from medical colleges in Srinagar and Jammu, confirming that most of the personnel had remained on duty during the relevant period, though some cases involved leave, resignation or absence.

The department said the delay in payments was procedural, involving verification of records, approvals for extending contracts retroactively and financial clearances. It added that no individual official was responsible for the delay.

The decision is expected to bring relief to a large number of workers who played a central role in managing pandemic response facilities at the height of the crisis, even as many awaited compensation long after their assignments had ended.