Scores of supervisors working under the Social Welfare Department’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) staged a protest demonstration on Monday to demand release of their pending salaries from the past six months.
The supervisors from various districts under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir ICDS Supervisors Union assembled at Press Enclave here on Monday against the authorities for the six-month delay in the monthly salaries of the employees.
“This is sheer injustice with the supervisors of ICDS who are working hard for the benefit of the society. Our salary has been withheld since the last six months and we are made to suffer on a daily basis. Despite being regular employees of the department, we are treated badly,” said Abida War, President of the ICDS Supervisors Union.
She said that they were working tirelessly for the betterment of children but their own children were made to suffer as most of them were not even able to pay their school fees.
The agitating supervisors said salary was not the only issue as there were other issues including pending time-bound cases that were lingering on with the department for more than a year now.
“Senior supervisors are on the verge of retirement. In various district offices, there is no district officer but an overall incharge who has to look after the entire office which hampers the smooth functioning of district offices. The proposal to fill vacant posts was already submitted to the concerned authorities but despite constant pleas, our requests have not been taken into consideration,” they said.
The protesting ICDS supervisors said, “We appeal Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and all the concerned authorities to release our pending salaries so that we don’t suffer further.”