Senior LHVs Serve Legal Notice as Kashmir Health Dept Issues Promotion Order to CHOs | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: A group of senior Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) in Kashmir has served a statutory legal notice to health authorities, coinciding with the issuance of a promotion order elevating LHVs to the post of Community Health Officers (CHOs), officials and documents show.

The legal notice, issued through an advocate and dated March 18, was addressed to the Director Health Services Kashmir and Director Family Welfare Kashmir, raising concerns on behalf of several LHVs working in the department.

The development assumes significance as the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir on the same day issued an official order sanctioning the promotion of LHVs (2211) to CHOs in the pay level of 6F, based on recommendations of a Departmental Promotion Committee meeting held in July 2025.

According to the legal notice, the petitioners are among the most senior LHVs in the department, many of whom are nearing retirement after decades of service. The notice states that they are currently discharging duties in the health department and have sought redressal regarding their service-related grievances.

Officials said the promotion order includes a list of selected LHVs, with postings across various blocks in Kashmir, including Kangan, Kulgam, Chadoora, Sopore and Pampore.

“The promotion has been sanctioned as per the recommendations of the Departmental Promotion Committee,” an official said, adding that the order takes effect from the date the promotees join their new postings.

However, the order also specifies that the promotions are subject to the outcome of any writ petitions pending before courts or any departmental inquiries, indicating the possibility of legal scrutiny.

Sources familiar with the matter said that at least one of the individuals named in the legal notice also figures in the promotion list, suggesting a possible overlap between the aggrieved parties and beneficiaries.

The notice highlights that the petitioners have served in the department for decades and are among the senior-most LHVs, raising questions over the criteria and process adopted in the promotions.

“There are concerns regarding service rights and seniority which have been formally brought to the notice of the authorities,” a source said, declining to elaborate further.

Local health workers said the issue has generated discussion within the department, particularly among LHVs who are awaiting clarity on promotion norms and eligibility.

“We have served for years and expect fair consideration. The situation has created uncertainty,” said a health worker familiar with the developments.

The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir maintained that due process has been followed in issuing the promotion order.

The matter is likely to take a legal course if the concerns raised in the notice are not addressed, with the promotion order already carrying a clause that makes it subject to court outcomes.

The dispute highlights ongoing concerns within the health sector over promotions, seniority and career progression, particularly among long-serving field staff. [KNT]