Madhya Pradesh cites ‘technical glitch’ in non-payment of dues to anganwadi workers

A day after former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath flagged payment of only half the salary to anganwadi workers for four months, the State government has claimed it was a technical glitch for 20 districts which had been resolved.

The online server for the districts faced an issue which had been resolved, Swati Meena Naik, Director, Women and Child Development, told The Hindu. “The issue arose around Raksha Bandhan and after being resolved it will reflect in a day or two,” she said.

Urging the government to clear the arrears, Mr. Nath described the nearly one lakh workers as “corona warriors” who went door to door offering services.

“Considering their services they should be given an incentive. However, the one who calls himself mama (maternal uncle, in a reference to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan) at a time of crisis like this can’t even pay his sisters full honorarium,” he said.

Salaries to the workers were paid under two heads — one under the Central honorarium scheme and the other entirely by the State government, said Ms. Naik. “Under the first scheme, through which workers get ₹4,500 a month, even the State government has a share,” she said.

However, the technical glitch was related to the second head, under which workers were paid an additional ₹5,500 a month by the State government, she added.