Srinagar, Nov 7 (KNS): The National Health Mission (NHM) Employees Association in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday threatened to resume its agitation over the alleged non-implementation of assurances given by the government in September, dismissing the newly sanctioned five per cent annual increment as a routine benefit rather than a fresh concession.

The warning came hours after Health Minister Sakina Itoo announced the sanction of a five per cent annual increment for eligible contractual NHM employees for the financial year 2026-27, describing the decision as recognition of their contribution to healthcare delivery.

JKNHMEAK Chief Spokesperson Abdul Rauoof, however, said the increment was already being granted annually and did not address the employees' longstanding demands.

"The five per cent increment is nothing new. It is a routine annual exercise. If our demands are not fulfilled, we will be back on the streets," Rauoof said in a video message, as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS).

He urged the government to implement the commitments made during the September 18 meeting between employee representatives and the Health Minister at the Civil Secretariat.

According to the association, those assurances concerned salary revision, social security measures, retirement benefits and other service-related demands.

Rauoof said employees had suspended their agitation in good faith following the government's intervention but were disappointed by the lack of progress on the issues raised.

The fresh warning comes nearly two months after NHM employees ended a 10-day strike that began on September 9, demanding a comprehensive employment policy, regularisation, equal pay for equal work, salary revision, job security and retirement benefits.

The strike was called off on September 18 following discussions between the employees' Joint Coordination Committee and the Health Minister.

The government subsequently constituted a committee to examine the demands and prepare a roadmap for addressing them.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The association now maintains that the annual increment should not be presented as a resolution of the wider dispute, which centres on employment conditions and long-term financial security.

Earlier, Minister Itoo announced on X that the government had sanctioned the five per cent annual increment for eligible contractual NHM employees.

She said the decision reflected the government's commitment to the welfare of healthcare workers and efforts to strengthen healthcare services under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Meanwhile, an order issued by NHM Mission Director Athar Aamir Khan on November 7 sanctioned the increment for eligible contractual employees working at state, divisional, district and block levels, including personnel engaged under the National Urban Health Mission and various disease-control programmes.

Under the order, employees completing one year of qualifying service on or before March 31, 2026, will receive the increment from April 1, 2026.

Those completing the qualifying period between April 1 and September 30, 2026, will become eligible from October 1, while employees completing one year after September 30 will receive the benefit from April 1, 2027.

The increment is subject to satisfactory performance and prescribed NHM guidelines, with Drawing and Disbursing Officers and Controlling Officers required to verify eligibility before releasing the benefit.

The approval follows the sanction of the NHM State Programme Implementation Plan for 2026-27 by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the State Health Society Executive Committee meeting and an administrative order issued by the Health and Medical Education Department on November 6.

Despite the announcement, the association has maintained that its central demands remain unresolved and warned that failure to honour the September assurances could trigger another round of protests across Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)