Is AMC capable of paying Rs 13 cr salary dues to contractual health staff?

Aurangabad, July 30:

Disappointed over the non-release of funds from the state government, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administration is checking the possibility of releasing payments of contractual health staff from its treasury, said the sources. The AMC's health section has recruited 750 personnel in various capacities on a contractual basis during the second wave of Covid-19. The total salary of all these personnel is Rs 2.59 crore per month. However, the AMC has not paid a single penny to them, so far. It requires Rs 13 crore to release their five-month long payment.

Considering the third wave, the AMC had not discontinued the services of these contractual health staff. More than 70 pc of them are sitting without any work for the past four months. The payment of one MBBS doctor is Rs 1 lakh, Super Specialist is Rs 1.25 lakh, Ayush Doctor is Rs 50,000 (per month), apart from paramedical staff and managers.

These contractual staff are making rounds of the AMC headquarters for the past many months. The civic body is already reeling under a financial crisis. It may be noted that the funds released from the district administration to tackle the Covid-19 have been stopped. The AMC is losing hope, but at the same time, the civic administration is thinking over whether it can at least release one or two months salary to them? The final decision will be taken by the AMC administrator, said the sources.

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The status of total number of contractual staff and their monthly salaries (in bracket) are as follows:

- Super Specialists - 03 (Rs 3.75 lakh)

- MBBS - 33 (Rs 33 lakh)

- Ayush Doctors - 294 (Rs 1.47 crore)

- Staff Nurses - 138 (Rs 27.80 lakh)

- Para Medical Staff -184 (Rs 31.28 lakh)

- Hospital Manager -02 (Rs 70,000)

- Storekeeper - 02 (Rs 40,000)

- Counsellor - 01 (Rs 20,000)

- DEO - 01 (Rs 20,000) and

- Ward Boys - 121 (Rs 14.52 lakh)

Total Staff - 750 (Rs 2.59 crore)