IMPHAL, October 15: Workers and employees of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the state have been left high and dry as there has been no payment of honorarium for Anganwadi workers and helpers or salary disbursement for Supervisors for the last six months.
A backlog of nearly Rs 50 crores (rupees five hundred million) has been created despite the Centre sanctioning the State’s fund on schedule.
An IFP investigation has found out that there is no laxity of funds from the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The ICDS fund is 90 percent centrally sponsored. The state Social Welfare Department is the nodal agency for implementation of the ICDS schemes. The scheme aims at providing vital services to pre-school children in an integrated manner to ensure proper growth and development among other schemes.
The outlet is the Anganwadi centres. The CDPOs, Supervisors, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers are responsible for tending to the needs of the child in imparting nutritional needs, education, and training programs.
A total of 42 ICDS projects are presently implemented in the State. There are a total of 9883 Anganwadi centres in Manipur and each centre employs two individuals. One is referred as a ‘Worker’ and another as a ‘Helper’, the former is paid Rs 3,000 per month and the latter Rs 1,500.
The mode of payment is done on a quarterly basis and honorariums are distributed every three months. The payment mode is the same for the rest of the ICDS employees of the State inclusive of 367 Supervisors.
There are dozens of ministerial staff comprising of UDCs, LDCs, Grade IV and drivers employed at the 42 ICDS projects and 9 District Cells besides the mentioned Anganwadi employees and Supervisors.
According to reports culled from various reliable sources, it was learnt that the Anganwadi staff has been paid up till December 2011. The last payment made was for the month of October, November and December released in April 2012.
There has been no disbursement of salaries for the current year which encompasses more than 3 quarters if counted from January 2012 onwards and encompassing more than 9 months.
The amount to be paid for one month for the Anganwadi workers is Rs 2,96,49,000 and Rs 1,48,24,500 for the total number of helpers. The amount to be released per quarter is Rs 8,89,47,000 for workers and Rs 8,89,47,000 for helpers totaling at Rs 13,34,20,500.
Since there is a backlog of more than 3 quarters, a total of Rs 40,02,61,500 has not been paid for the Anganwadi employees. Similarly, for the 367 Supervisors, when accounting their wages at approximately Rs 25,000 per month. It totals at Rs 91,75,000 per month and they have not been paid since February last. There is a backlog of 2 quarters hence a due of Rs 5,50,50,000 is created.
It may be stated that state ICDS incurs at least Rs 6 crore in salary for the state employees in a month.
The question of the missing wages was put up by IFP to the concerned official of the Ministry of Women and Children on telephone number (011-23381611). Deputy Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Gulsanlal when queried if funds were not released from the Centre stated payment is made for ICDS on a quarterly basis for a financial year. “We are paying as per schedule and there is no backlog from the Ministry”, he confirmed.
It may be mentioned here that funds from the Ministry are released post the statement of expenditure (SOE) forwarded by the state Social Welfare Department and without the utilization certificate, the quarterly funds cannot be released according to the norms.
Now, a sum of more than Rs 50 crores which has been released by the Centre is not being paid to the ICDS employees and the stance of the nodal agency, the state Social Welfare department is being questioned.
When IFP queried the Joint Director of Social Welfare Sanajaoba Singh conceded that the ministry has sanctioned the funds for payment of honorarium for Anganwadi workers and helpers but on the earlier strength of ICDS centres.
As the number of centres has doubled in the last 2/3 years, regular payment of honorarium had become difficult, he added.
He further said that the backlog honorarium would be paid very soon.