23-06-2025
Forum urges revocation of Gandhigram Institute of Rural Health and Family Welfare Trust's ‘Reframed Service Rules 2024'
Professors and educationalists through a forum named 'Save Gandhigram Rural Health Committee,' urged the institution for revocation of 'Reframed Service Rules 2024,' which were learned to be violating the welfare of the employees of the institution.
P. Vijayakumar, former general secretary, Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa, and Alagappa University Teachers' Association, said that the Gandhigram Institute of Rural Health and Family Welfare Trust was 100% funded under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
He added that as per the direction of the ministry, the institution must follow the rules and regulation of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
But, from April 2024, the institution implemented the 'reframed service rule 2024,' which were framed by the institution without following the direction of the ministry, Mr. Vijayakumar alleged.
As the new norms violated the original rules and regulations, the actions of the institution to terminate six teaching and non-teaching staff against the original norms were worrying, he observed.
'Even when the Tamil Nadu government increased the superannuation to 60 years, the new rule of the institution has refixed as 59 years for employees,' Mr. Vijayakumar pointed out.
'Application of fundamental rules is not included in the 'Reframed Service Rule 2024'. Instead of crediting 30 days earned leaves per year, only 12 days will be credited as per the new rules,' he stated.
Elaborating on the rules pertaining to earned leave, he said, 'As per the old rules, for permanent employees the maximum limit of 240 days earned leave will be accumulated, but in new rules the earned leaves cannot be carried forward beyond one subsequent calendar year. At the expiry of the subsequent calendar year, the accumulated leave of the preceding calendar year will automatically expire. Further, no encashment of earned leave is permissible at any time.'
'Though the G. O (Ms) No 84, Human Resources Management ( Department, dated 23.08.2021 mandates maternity leave for 365 days the newly framed rules permit only 180 days,' he noted.
In addition to this, structural annual increments and promotions have been delayed and denied unjustly since reframing the rules, he alleged.
Stating the move by the institution as unjust, he said that it would affect the quality of the institution, which has played a major role in promoting public health in rural areas of the State.
To maintain the institution's quality, the employees demand immediate revocation of the newly framed rules, he said.
