Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Government doctors have raised strong objection to the Pay Protection Bill passed by the state cabinet on March 12. The Progressive Medical Teachers’ Association (PMTA) has written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla and Principal Secretary (Health), expressing their dissatisfaction with the bill.
The primary concern of the medical teachers is that while new recruits will receive pay protection, they will not benefit from service protection, which was previously in place under the Service Protection Bill, 1972. Earlier, service protection ensured that an employee’s previous service record was considered during promotions and transfers between organisations.
However, under the new pay protection system, previous service records will neither be counted nor acknowledged, depriving doctors of the benefits of seniority. The doctors said that the bill will not be applicable for the UPS, meaning previous service records will not be considered for pension benefits. They also point out that their service history will not be taken into account during promotions or when switching from one organisation to another. Moreover, previous service will not be counted for Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP), and the lack of recognition for past service will result in doctors losing out on gratuity benefits.
Another major concern is that no benefits will be granted when transferring between autonomous institutions, and the bill does not provide any provision to recognise seniority. Dr. Rakesh Malviya, patron of the Medical Teachers’ Association, said that earlier, service protection was in place, but it was scrapped in 2022. He said that now the government has introduced the Pay Protection Bill, which medical teachers refuse to accept. He said that they have written to the Deputy Chief Minister and the Principal Secretary (Home), demanding a reconsideration of this decision.
