Punjab: Over 900 Social Security, Women and Child Development Dept employees await June salary

At least 943 employees, including officers and clerical staff, of the department of Social Security and Women and Child Development are yet to receive their salaries for the month of June. They have met senior official several times during the last three weeks but to no avail. According to the department, these employees are 8 district program officers (DPOs), 135 child development protection officers (CDPOs), 700 supervisors and 80 senior assistants.

They all work under Integrated Child Development Services, a central sponsored scheme, for holistic development of children. The Centre bears 25% of the total expenditure of regular employees while the rest of the amount is financed by the state government.

Sources said that the department did not get budget for the ICDS scheme and had budget till the month of May. Besides, the DPOs and CDPOs have also been waiting for the expenditure incurred on renting out vehicles and salaries of the drivers for the last fifteen months.

An official pleading anonymity said that the Centre raised some objection over expenditure of funds and stopped its share. Therefore, the department was earlier managing to release salaries from its share.

A DPO, pleading anonymity said, “We get ₹ 20,000 per month to hire vehicles and pay salary to drivers but we have not received the vehicle expenditure for the last one and half years. Earlier we were bearing these expenses from our pockets, including salaries of drivers. But now, we too did not get the salary for the month of June.”

Kanwar Shakti, president of the CDPO’s association, said, “Last year too, we had to go through similar situation when the department did not release our salaries for the five months. Now again, the department did not get budget for our salaries.” Raji P Shrivastava , additional chief secretary, department of Social Security and Women and Child Development said, “The file pertaining to salaries of the employees is under process and it will be cleared within two days. Their salary will be released immediately thereafter.”

Madhvi Kataria, director of the department said, “Central government did not sanction its share. Therefore file was moved to transfer funds from other budget head and salaries will be paid once it is approved.”