EDITORIALFinally, there is a good news for the regular employees of Directorate of Family Welfare MCH & Immunization and continued staff and AWWs/AWHs of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). The UT administration has approved a proposal of the Finance Department for providing advance funds in anticipation of central share to meet salary requirement of regular employees of Directorate of Family Welfare MCH & Immunization and continued staff and AWWs/AWHs of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
For regular employees of Directorate of Family Welfare MCH & Immunization, the funds will be spread in two installments – June and November of the financial year and will be recouped from the funds released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India upon submission of audited utilization certificate.
Similarly, for payment of salary of continued staff and honorarium of AWWs/AWHs of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) from budget provisions under CSS on reimbursement basis, the funds too will be spread in two installments – June and November of the financial year.
While this arrangement shall ensure regular disbursement of salary to regular staff of Family Welfare, MCH & Immunization, it will also ensure smooth implementation of CSS programmes/schemes like Mission Poshan which is entrusted with implementation of many flagship schemes like ICDS General, Supplementary Nutrition Program, Poshan Abhiyaan, Scheme for adolescent girls, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) and Palna.
It may be mentioned here that the regular employees of Directorate of Family Welfare MCH & Immunization have been facing a chronic problem of delayed salaries. In certain cases, the disbursement gets delayed for months together causing financial trauma to the employees and their families.
Same is the case with the salaries of continued staff and honorarium of AWWs/AWHs of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). While AWWs/AWHs are the key players in implementing flagship programmes, they are the ones who suffer the most. Firstly, they are not being paid worth their work and secondly, disbursement of their honorarium gets delayed every time. By approving the proposal of the Finance Department for providing advance funds in anticipation of central share to meet salary requirement of continued staff and AWWs/AWHs of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the UT administration seems keen to ensure that they get salaries and honorarium on time. Now it is time to listen to the pleas of these workers and enhance their honorarium so that it strengthens their individual economy and thus they would perform their duties in a much better way.
