New Delhi: The Madhya Pradesh government Friday withdrew its order warning male multi-purpose health workers (MPHWs) that their salaries would be held back and they could be forced to retire if they failed to convince at least one man to get sterilised in the 2019-20 period that ends next month.
State Health Minister Tulsi Silwat confirmed to ThePrint that the order has been nullified.
Public Relations Minister P.C. Sharma, meanwhile, told ANI that the order issued by the government was a “regular” one.
“These kinds of orders/circulars were regularly issued by the previous BJP government also. These days public awareness about such matters has increased and everybody is vouching for ‘small family is happy family’ idea. However, no health worker is being pressurised in any way,” Sharma said.
In a circular issued dated 11 February, Madhya Pradesh National Health Mission (NHM) had asked all divisional commissioners, regional director of health services, collectors as well as chief medical and health officers to identify MPHWs with “zero work output” and apply the “no work no pay” principle before the 2019-2020 fiscal year ends.
The order also stated that it was mandatory for all male employees to mobilise at least 5 to 10 “interested beneficiaries” at assigned vasectomy service centres each month.
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‘Emergency part-2?’ asks Shivraj Singh Chouhan
News of the order created a war of words between the opposition BJP and the ruling Congress dispensation in the state.
State BJP spokesperson and former MP Chintamani Malviya told ThePrint, “If the Kamal Nath-government is really serious about male sterilisation, it should start this initiative from the Muslim areas first.”
He added, “Putting pressure on the employees and traumatising them is akin to blackmailing. By threatening to take away their jobs, the government wants to sterilise only the Hindu community.”
Former state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, meanwhile, tweeted asking “if it was Emergency part 2”.
He wrote: “Madhya Pradesh is witnessing an undeclared emergency. Is this the Emergency Part-2 of the Congress government? If the efforts of MPHWs are found to be deficient, then the government must take strict action, but threats to withhold their salary and forceful retirement for not meeting specified targets are completely dictatorial.”
मध्यप्रदेश में अघोषित आपातकाल है। क्या ये कांग्रेस का इमर्जेंसी पार्ट-2 है? एमपीएचडब्ल्यू (Male Multi Purpose Health Workers) के प्रयास में कमी हो, तो सरकार कार्रवाई करे, लेकिन लक्ष्य पूरे नहीं होने पर वेतन रोकना और सेवानिवृत्त करने का निर्णय, तानाशाही है। #MP_मांगे_जवाब pic.twitter.com/Fl7Q8UM9dX
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 21, 2020
Former BJP MP from Bhopal Alok Sanjar told ThePrint, “It is the job of the state government to create wider public awareness in this matter. No way can it be imposed on the common people. If unnecessary pressure is applied on health workers, then they will apply dubious measures to trick people for sterilisation, as was seen during the Emergency period.”
‘Compulsory retirement’
In its directive, issued by the state NHM Director Chitra Bharadhaj, the government had cited the National Family Health Survey-4 report which records only 0.5 per cent men opting for sterilisation in Madhya Pradesh.
The order also stated that if the “situation” didn’t improve after adoption of specific measures the district collectors should send recommendations for compulsory retirement of MPHWs to the headquarters of NHM in all districts.
These recommendations will then be forwarded to the Directorate of Health for further action.
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