Salary has not been released since September 2025 for National Health Mission (NHM) employees in Nagaland, and the National Health Mission Employee Association Nagaland (NEAN) has warned that its members will launch a total cessation of work if all pending remuneration is not cleared by December 10.
The warning followed NEAN’s general body meeting held in Dimapur on Saturday, where members said years of routine salary delays have now become “untenable.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, the association said the salary for August was released only recently despite repeated appeals, while payments for September and the following months remain pending. It stated that the continuing delay has pushed hundreds of staff across state, district and block levels into “severe financial and emotional stress.”
“For many years, NHM employees have adjusted, compromised and tolerated salary delays every single year,” the association said. “We serve the people. We work in difficult conditions. All we ask for is timely payment for the work we do.”
NEAN said many employees are struggling to pay rent, EMIs and basic living costs, and noted that NHM workers, despite handling both programme management and service delivery, receive remuneration far lower than regular government employees.
Maintaining that NHM staff form the backbone of the state’s public health system, the association warned that they would no longer tolerate any delay of monthly salary. It urged the government to ensure that funds received from the Government of India are used to reserve two to three months’ worth of salaries in advance to prevent future disruptions.
“We sincerely hope that immediate steps will be taken so that services can continue without disruption,” it added.
