TNI Bureau: The State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned the BJD-led Odisha government’s decision of invoking the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA) on the employees of the state health department.

While speaking to the media persons, BJP State spokesperson Dillip Mallick alleged that the health services in Odisha has completely fallen apart in the last 23 years.

Nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, technicians, and other class-III and class-IV employees sometimes hit the street just to press for their demands. But now, the state government  suppressed them by invoking the ESMA on them.

It is not clear why the state government is implementing the ESMA when there are no natural calamities like floods or cyclone in the state, the saffron leader asked.

Why is the state government so afraid of health workers? The government should know that health care cannot be forced from health workers. The untimely implementation of “ESMA” shows the unknown fear of the state government, Mallick said.

He further said, “In the past, the state government has repeatedly neglected the health workers. It seems clear that the state government has imposed “ESMA” in case the health workers protest about their rights in the coming days.

“The government is afraid because of the upcoming general elections. The state does not have the required number of health workers. Why is the state government not making arrangements to meet the needs of the employees,” he questioned.

If an employee gets proper salary then he can provide proper service to the people but the state government is forcing them for the same, Mallick said adding that the government should stay away from the decision to impose ESMA on them.