Patna, July 18: Doctors and other employees of the state health department will now have to provide a monthly undertaking, stating that they live in districts of their posting to draw salaries.

Health department principal secretary Vyasji on Wednesday issued the order to the magistrates of all 38 districts in the state.

“The move is aimed at ensuring the health personnel’s presence in the districts they are posted in. We have asked the district magistrates to issue salaries to employees of the (health) department from August onwards only after the latter provide their residential proof, along with bills. These proofs should be in the form of an undertaking. If they do not do so, they would not get their salaries,” Vyasji told The Telegraph.

The directive will affect around 35,000 employees of the department.

Sources said the step was taken after the department received complaints against many doctors for not residing in the districts of their posting, which affects functioning of hospitals. Officials, meanwhile, clarified that employees do not have to provide residential proof of the block/sub-division they are posted in but anywhere in the districts of their posting.

Bihar Health Service Association (BHSA), the organisation of government doctors in the state, welcomed the move but stressed that the state should shift its focus towards proving its own residential facility to doctors and other employees near the hospitals they are posted at.

“No doctor or employee will choose not to live near hospitals if they are provided with quality residential centres,” BHSA secretary Dr Ranjeet Kumar said.