No pay for 2,200 Palwal anganwadi workers, helpers for past 8 months

Bijendra Ahlawat

Palwal, July 3

As many as 2,200 workers and helpers of the Anganwadi Department in the district are awaiting the release of their honorarium for the past eight months. The vacant post of the Child Development Programme Officer (CDPO) is the reason behind the delay as he is the disbursing authority.

“Our families are on the verge of starvation as the honorarium has not been released,” says Urmila Rawat, district president of the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union. She said the delay was a cause for concern among the affected employees as their financial condition had deteriorated and become dependent on their relatives for their survival.

“For daily expenses, we have to rely on our kin as our salaries have not been released for nearly last eight months,” said Krishna, one of the affected workers. She claimed that the vacant post of the CDPO was the main reason behind the delay as it was the official who was responsible for the release of the salaries of the staff as he/she had the drawing and disbursal powers. Since the post was lying vacant for the past several months the salaries could not be released, therefore the helpers and workers were bearing the brunt, it is claimed.

Though the matter has been raised several times with the authorities concerned, a relief is yet to come, said Geeta, an office-bearer of the District Unit of the Association.

Jai Bhagwan, a trade leader (CITU) of the state, said that the post of the CDPO must be filled, so that the salaries can be disbursed to the workers and helpers. He said as the anganwadi staff are the backbone of various welfare schemes at the ground level, this kind of treatment was unfortunate. He claimed that while the staff were involved in activities such as primary health checkup, immunisation, supplementary nutrition, educating people about family planning, their health, their role in non-formal pre-school education of children in the three to six age group, health checkups for the expectant and nursing mothers cannot be undervalued. The anganwadi centres also serve children aged 0–6 years and play a crucial role in the public healthcare system and holistic child development activities, it is added. Additional DC Dr Brahmjeet Rangi, said the matter was being pursued with the department concerned and was expected to be resolved soon.