High Court asks Punjab to consider interest on delayed payment of honorarium to anganwadi workers

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Punjab Government to take a decision regarding the payment of interest on delayed payment of honorarium to anganwadi workers within a period of 60 days.

While making the observation, the Bench of the High Court — comprising Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice, and Justice Sanjiv Berry — has disposed of the petition.

The Bench has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports which highlighted that over 50,000 anganwadi workers in Punjab didn’t get honorarium for their extra duty for six months.

The Bench in the order says “an affidavit/reply of the Chief Secretary, dated October 17, 2025, had been filed accompanied with which is a summary of accounts as on October 10, 2025. As per the said affidavit/reply, arrears of six months of honorarium withheld for the anganwadi workers have been cleared.”

The Bench said that the reply/affidavit reveals that delay has occurred due to technical issue and after completion of mapping of SNA Bank Account funds had been released.

Since the State of Punjab is a welfare state, it may also consider paying appropriate quantum of interest over the delayed payment of honorarium to the anganwadi workers who had not received honorarium for the last several months.

“We hope and expect that the State of Punjab shall rise to the occasion and pass appropriate orders instead of rejecting the aforesaid observation of this Court in a mechanical manner.”

“Let the aforesaid decision as regards payment of interest on delayed payment be taken and made within a period of 60 days.. With the aforesaid observation, this petition stands disposed of,” said the Bench.