Women Anganwari Workers not paid their Wages for 9 Months

Seems like it is not only the low rung public employees, thousands  of women Anganwari workers working in centres across valley have also not received their salaries for last nine months, with the concerned social welfare department citing the reason of inadequate budget for non-payment of the salaries.

Interestingly, the payment of salaries to the workers/ supervisors under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is being funded by the central government. Under this scheme, all the social welfare departments were directed to increase the salaries of field workers operating in various centers from Rs 2100  per month to Rs 3600  per month with effect from April 2011.

However, in  Jammu and Kashmir, thousands of Anganwari workers were paid  the hiked salary for just the month of April , and have been working wage- less since then.

Protesting against the indifference of state authorities towards their concerns, Parveena, Head , Anganwari Helpers and Workers Association told Kashmir Times that they will go on an indefinite strike if the department further delays the payment of salaries.

Women Anganwari workers from various districts of the valley protested against the indifference of government towards their problems and threatened to go on an indefinite strike, if they are not paid their pending wages.

“We work all the year, for providing meals and nutrition to the children from poor families. However when it comes to paying us our due wages, this department always shies away from the same. We have even approached Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo. We have only got assurances from them. We cannot work any further as we have families to feed too,” Nuzhat, an Anganwari worker said.

The workers said that paying the pre-revised salaries to them would be sheer injustice as the workers elsewhere in the country are getting the salaries according to newly revised rates.

“Non-payment of dues has now become a routine with us. Usually, we are paid our wages after 2-3 months with the department citing the unavailability of funds as the reason every time. This certainly seems to be the mishandling of the affairs by the state management, because central agencies funding our salaries have announced payment of our hiked salaries on time,” Parveena told News Agency.

When contacted, director social welfare department, Hilal Ahmad Parray  said  the decks for payment of hiked salaries have been cleared and that as of now the department is ready to pay the salaries to its workers as per old schedule.

“We currently do not have sufficient funds for payment of revised salaries. As soon as we get the funds, we shall pay them as arrears to the workers. We have written to general administration department regarding that. Meanwhile, the payment of salaries as per old schedule is already being done,” he added.