Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Minister for Medical Health and Medical Education Satyakumar Yadav said in the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the government will act subject to the final verdict of the Supreme Court in the matter of removal of male paramedical staff appointed on contractual basis in the Health Department. He said this while replying to questions raised by members of the Legislative Council Palavalasa Vikrant and Isak Bhasha. He said that Multi-purpose health workers have been serving in the medical and health department for the past few decades and have played a key role in public health care.

He said that he had recently taken up the issues faced by them with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu who suggested that their issues should be resolved within the limits of justice. Reacting to the recent sacking of some contractual employees, he said the government had to take such action as per the orders of the High Court. He said the issue has been plaguing for the last two-and-a-half decades.

On July 27, 2002 a written examination was conducted in combined Andhra Pradesh as SSC educational qualification for the recruitment of Multi-Purpose Health Assistants and 2254 candidates were selected. Some candidates had approached the High Court seeking to consider intermediate as a minimum educational qualification in this regard. In 2003, when the High Court passed an interim order in their favour, the government appointed those with intermediate qualification, putting aside those who were SSC students.

However, in a final order issued in September the same year, the high court directed that the final list of those who studied SSC as well as those trained by MPHA should be prepared and recruited. However, some candidates have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging this final order.In its final order issued in 2011, the Supreme Court had upheld the 2003 high court order dismissing petitions on the issue.

To this end, 2324 posts have been appointed on merit--roster basis. However, as per the orders of the High Court and the Supreme Court, the government has issued orders removing 1,220 people in Andhra Pradesh and 260 in Telangana. However, as per the recommendations of the cabinet sub-committee constituted later, some of them have been reinstated keeping in mind their nine-year experience.