The State government on Monday informed the Madras High Court that it had constituted a committee, led by the Health Secretary, to improve the service conditions of nurses employed by the government on consolidated pay, apart from those in regular service.
It was submitted that the services of about 200 contract nurses would be regularised with time scale of pay by the end of this financial year.
The submissions were made before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose in a counter-affidavit filed by U. Anbu, Additional Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department.
The counter was filed in reply to a public interest litigation petition preferred in November last with a plea to declare as illegal the strike by contract nurses.
Two associations of the contract nurses filed individual counter-affidavits.
They pointed out that it was unfair on the part of the government to pay just ₹7,700 a month to the contract nurses and expect them to work on a par with the regular nurses.
After taking the counter-affidavits on file, the judges adjourned the case to Friday for further hearing.
