Chhattisgarh Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal on Friday approved the release of withheld salaries of employees who went on strike against the state government last year.

Nearly 30,000 health workers in the state have benefited from this decision with the Chhattisgarh Health Federation expressing its gratitude to the minister for the move.

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Officials and employees of the health department were on strike from August 21 to September 12 last year.

The Chhattisgarh Health Federation had placed its five-point demand before the government, which includes salary discrepancy of nursing cadre employees, pending pay scale of doctors, allowances and stipend, coronavirus allowance, and violence with nursing staff happening in the hospital.

In compliance with the directive, 5,000 suspended employees have been reinstated into service. Additionally, withheld salaries for 25,000 employees during the protest have been released, an official said.

Officials of the Federation mentioned that the salaries of 2,000 employees of the medical education department have also been withheld for absence during the protest period. Federation officials have requested Health Minister Shyama Bihari Jaiswal to release the salaries of these workers as well.