Tamil Nadu NTEP staff oppose privatisation

“The NTEP is a Central project launched 15 years ago and all employees hired under the programme were getting consolidated pay. For the first time in the country, the state is trying to privatise NTEP by handing over the recruitment process to a private manpower agency,” S Anandhan, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Tuberculosis Employees Association, told DT Next.

Recently, K Senthil Raj, State TB officer, wrote a DO letter to all district level TB officers to seek assistance of the private agency to fill vacancies in NTEP. The letter had come as a shocker to the staff who claim that it is the first step towards privatisation. “When TB employees have been fighting for regularisation, officials are working against their demand by trying to privatise NTEP. If the process is done, there will be no job security,” said Anandhan.

NTEP staff said that they displayed the best performance during COVID-19 pandemic and even Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar, appreciated their role. “When a department is performing well why are officials in a hurry to privatise it,” they wondered.

However, a senior NTEP officer said that the decision was taken in 2019. “Only new employees will be kept under manpower agencies while the existing personnel will come under the state only,” clarified officials.