Anganwadi workers' payment: LG blames faulty Budget plan

NEW DELHI: With over a week having passed since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, exchange of letters continue between Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and the elected government of Delhi – even as the tussle between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the bureaucracy continued on Thursday.

With regards to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's correspondence regarding the delay in payment of honorarium to Delhi's Anganwadi workers, the LG on Thursday maintained that as per the status report received from the department concerned, the payment of rent to Anganwadi premises is up to date (till January, 2018) and sufficient funds are available under this head.

Baijal, in his reply, further stated that since this is the first time that the Deputy CM has brought this issue to his notice, he immediately got the matter checked from the department concerned.

On Wednesday, Sisodia had alleged that for the past three months, 10,000 Angadwadi workers, 10,000 Anganwadi helpers, and 10,000 Anganwadi landlords have not received their salaries because of IAS officers. This has resulted in more than five lakh children being affected, Sisodia had said.

"As such, it may not be correct to say that the payment of rent has been pending for three months. Still, if any specific case (s) of unpaid dues are in the notice of Deputy Chief Minister, he may take up with the department concerned," the LG further said in his letter.

Baijal's letter was in response to Sisodia's letter, where the latter raised the issue of delay in payment of honorarium to Anganwadi workers/helpers and rent to landlords of Anganwadi centres.

Regarding the payment of honorarium to Anganwadi workers/helpers, Baijal stated that the department concerned informed him that payment to Anganwadi workers has been made up to November 2017 and that of Anganwadi helpers up to December, 2017.

The LG also stated that the department had informed that the payments for the remaining months are pending because the funds provided in the Budget 2017-18 for this purpose have already been exhausted.

In his letter, Baijal also noted that as in-charge of both the Finance Departement and Women and Child Development, the Deputy CM should introspect why the Budget could not be planned in a more meticulous manner and provision for the additional requirement not made timely.

The LG also requested Sisodia to take urgent corrective action for provision of adequate funds to ensure timely release of honorarium.