(Tribune)
The state government on Thursday extended the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in seven other districts. The Act is already in force in four districts of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Chamba since Wednesday after employees of GVK-EMRI, who run ambulances, went on a strike. Though the government is running 154 of 200 ambulances by hiring drivers from the Home Guards and Health Department, 46 ambulances remained off roads in 11 districts.After ESMA was imposed in Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Chamba districts on Wednesday, some employees in Mandi, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu, Hamirpur, Kinnaur partially joined the strike. There are about 1,200 employees who are demanding their induction as employees under the National Health Mission (NHM) and an increase in their salaries and payment for overtime
