Delayed salaries cause hardship to anganwadi staff | - Times of India

Source: The Times of India

Mangaluru: Hundreds of anganwadi teachers and workers in Dakshina Kannada are enduring hardships as they have not been paid their salaries for the past two months. According to them, their salaries for March and April have been delayed. Anganwadi workers shared that they were getting regular salaries and it is the first time in two years that there has been a delay.

"We used to get our salaries on time every month, and it is the first time in two years that there is a delay. Last time, there was a delay due to a technical issue at the district administration level, though funds were received. However, there is no official communication this time about when the salaries will be credited to our accounts," complained an anganwadi worker.

Another anganwadi teacher shared that they work for low salaries and the delay causes an inconvenience for them. "We have commitments. Besides, it is the month to pay our children's school fees and buy them other school-related things. How can we do that if the govt does not pay us on time? Besides our regular work, our services have been widely utilized for the recently concluded LS polls and the implementation of other govt schemes," the teacher shared her woes.

Recently, the anganwadi teachers/workers association in Puttur met MLA Ashok Kumar Rai and submitted a memorandum. They have complained that the govt has not paid the money they utilized to buy eggs, which are given to children and other beneficiaries. When TOI contacted the deputy director of the women and child development department A Usman, he said that salaries have been delayed across the district.

"The pending salaries will be cleared from next week, and the process will begin soon," he said. Dakshina Kannada has 4,260 anganwadi workers. The teachers are paid Rs 11,250, and workers are paid Rs 6,000 per month. tnn