Dharmendra urges Odisha CM to address plight of 108 ambulance service staff

Highlights

• Pradhan urges the Chief Minister to address the wage issue of ambulance staff
• he also sought intervention in repairing ambulances and equipment

Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to address the plight of the employees of 108 ambulance services in the state.

In the letter, the Union Minister highlighted three broad issues pertaining to the 108 Ambulance services – wage issues, repair and upgradation of Emergency Medical Ambulance Services (EMAS) and harassment and grievance management.

Pradhan wrote the letter to the Chief Minister after one Manoj Kumar Sahoo, an emergency medical technician (EMT) from the state, sought the help of the Union Minister to address the problem.

Pradhan urged the Chief Minister to take steps to ensure wages of the employees are paid on a fixed date, wage slip mentioning deductions and payment components, overtime allowance, annual increment, payment of TA/DA, periodic revision of wages and provision of day-offs.

He also sought the Chief Minister’s intervention in repairing ambulances and equipment and their proper maintenance, besides seeking redressal of complaints in Grievance Redressal Meeting.