Despite the Haryana government invoking Essential Services Maintenance Act to prohibit the strike by the medical staff for six months, the government doctors on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) extended their ongoing two-day strike for an indefinite period shutting down all OPD, emergency and post-mortem services across the State. Around 3,000 doctors are taking part in the protests.
More promotions
Holding the strike under the aegis of Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA), the striking doctors demand the scrapping of the direct appointment of Senior Medical Officer (SMO) to provide them more promotion opportunities and four Assured Career Progression (ACP) increments at par with the doctors in the Central government service and in States like Bihar in the fourth, ninth, 13th, and 20th year of service. They are currently paid three ACP increments in the fifth, 10th, and 15th year of service.
HCMSA president Rajesh Khyalia, SMO, Panchkula, who sat on fast-undo-death strike along with two more doctors on Wednesday, told The Hindu over phone that both demands were agreed upon by the Chief Minister in July last year after a similar protest, but were yet to be implemented.
In a letter to the Chief Minister on November 16, seeking his “urgent intervention” to resolve the HCMS cadre issue, the association pointed out that the government had on July 25 last year agreed that no “no further Direct SMO recruitment will be done and the service rules will be amended accordingly”, but the minutes of the meeting of health authorities on November 4 this year had a mention about initiating the process for the direct recruitment of SMO. Also, the proposal for grant of modified ACP was approved by the CM in July last, and the finance department had given its concurrence a month later, but the approval was yet to be notified after a year despite several reminders, said the letter.
