Anganwadi workers and helpers working under integrated child development scheme (ICDS) of social welfare department are yet to receive increased state share in their honorarium, which was announced by the government last year.
In September, the state government had announced theenhancement of Rs 500 and Rs 400 as the state (incentive) share, in thehonorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers respectively following massive andmonth-long protests by the Anganwadi workers and helpers.
However, the government has not been able to release thehonorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers as per the enhanced scale.
A delegation of the Anganwadi workers and helpers told GreaterKashmir that despite the announcement made by the government aboutenhancement of “our honorarium by Rs 500 and 400 respectively as a state sharelast year, it hasn’t been fulfilled yet.”
“Following the announcement by the state government,the central government in September also enhanced the honorarium by Rs 1500 andRs 750 in favour of workers and helpers respectively. However, the announcementby state government in the last budget session to enhance the honorarium hasnot been fulfilled till date,” they said.
They said the then Social Welfare Minister in the stateassembly had assured them that their wages will be released every month and “wewill also get Rs 500 additional honorarium. But it has not been implemented onthe ground.”
They sought the increased in the state share in theirhonorarium as announced by the state government.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the workers and helpers fromKangan complained that though some of their pending salary was releasedrecently, “it wasn’t as per the new scale.”
An official at child development project office (CDPO)Kangan said that the salaries of the Anganwadi workers and helpers werereleased as per previous scale “due to budgetary constraints.”
However, he assured thatonce the funds are released the pending salaries will be released as per newscale with effect from October 2018.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, secretary social welfaredepartment, Farooq Ahmed Lone said they (the state) had announced “an interimenhancement” of the honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers before theunion government approved increase in their honorarium. “We will examine thematter again after the model code of conduct comes to end,” he said.