HEIGRUJAM WANGLENSANA Vs. STATE OF MANIPUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Ms. Th. Babita, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners; Shri K. Jagat, learned Government Advocate for the State respondents and Shri S. Vijayanand, learned Senior panel counsel for the Union of India.

(2.) By the instant writ petition, the petitioners have prayed for issuing a writ of mandamus to maintain a parity of pay between the AYUSH doctors and the allopathic doctors working in the State Health Mission Society, Manipur under the NRHM on the principle of 'equal pay for equal work'.

(3.) Facts and circumstances as narrated in the writ petition, are that the National Rural Health Mission (hereinafter referred to as "the NRHM") was launched in the month of April, 2005 by which an innovative concept of mainstreaming AYUSH (an acronym of six Indian System of Medicine, say, Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy prevalent and practiced in India) was developed and introduced into the health care system by collocating AYUSH doctors along their counter parts of allopathic doctors at various health facility centres, say, District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres etc. in the country. The NRHM was implemented in all the States and Union Territories of India by establishing State Health Mission Societies under the aegis of Health and Family Welfare Departments of the respective States and Union Territories with the Central funding from the year, 2006. In the State of Manipur, the Director of Family Welfare Services, Manipur, at the relevant point of time, was the Mission Director of the State Health Mission Society, Manipur.