Case filed against contract staff for confronting Kerala Health Minister over salary delays

Manjeri (Kerala), Aug 15 Police have registered a case against several temporary employees of Manjeri Government Medical College in Kerala after they confronted Health Minister Veena George over two months of unpaid salaries.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when the Minister arrived at the college to inaugurate various projects.

According to police, the case was filed on charges of creating a commotion in a group and causing a potential law-and-order situation.

The complaint was lodged by Principal Dr K.K. Anil Raj, naming identifiable contract staff members employed under the Hospital Development Society (HDS).

The employees -- including nurses, nursing assistants, X-ray technicians, and cleaning staff -- approached the Minister alleging that they had not been paid for the past two months.

Eyewitnesses said the Minister, who was preparing to leave, was stopped by the employees demanding immediate intervention.

The exchange grew louder as workers insisted on presenting their grievances before she exited the premises.

Police sources stated that the employees’ demonstration was deemed disruptive and posed a risk of confrontation, leading to the registration of the case.

The charges are reportedly under sections related to unlawful assembly and creating public disturbance.

The protesting staff claim they have repeatedly brought the salary delay matter to the attention of hospital authorities without any resolution.

Many of them said they depend solely on these wages for their livelihood, and the prolonged non-payment has caused severe financial hardship.

The incident has sparked criticism from opposition leaders and labour unions, who accuse the government of using police action to silence legitimate workplace grievances.

They argue that instead of addressing the salary backlog, the administration has chosen to penalise those speaking out. George is a two-time CPI-M legislator and entered politics while being a full-time journalist and a popular news anchor with a Malayalam TV channel.

George is yet to respond to the present issue. Meanwhile, in a related development, a huge number of employees at the state-run Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) Pookode in Wayanad are yet to get their salary for the month of July.

The delay in salaries is attributed to the poor financial position of the Kerala government.

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