Agartala, September 1, 2023: A group of 100 contractual nurses in Tripura, who were appointed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at GBP Hospital, issued a stern warning to the government on Friday, demanding immediate regularization of their employment status. If their demands are not met promptly, they have vowed to seek legal recourse by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court.

Speaking to the media outside the premises of the Dedicated Covid Hospital in Agartala, Prasenjit Das, one of the nurses, expressed their grievances. He stated, “When Biplab Kumar Deb, the current Rajya Sabha MP, was the Chief Minister of Tripura, we were appointed as nurses to serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have tirelessly worked for the well-being of COVID patients at GBP Hospital. Almost three years have passed, but the government has yet to regularize our employment.”

Das continued, “During our appointment, we were assured that 10-15 percent of marks would be granted as grace, and priority would be given to our regularization. However, we have been deprived of this promise thus far. Rather, doctors those were appointed during pandemic have been regularized. Additionally, we were promised a fixed monthly salary of Rs 20,000, but for the past five to six months, we have not received any payment. Faced with the pressures of daily expenses, we approached the Medical Superintendent and Director of Health Services. The Medical Superintendent claimed ignorance, while the Director stated that there were no allocated funds for our salaries. In this dire situation, we ask, where can we turn?”

Concluding his statement, Das declared, “If the government and the Health department fail to take appropriate measures for our welfare, we will have no choice but to approach the High Court of Tripura with a PIL to seek justice.”