JOIN USMinister for Child Development Ram Gobind Chaudhary has said the officials of his department were demanding bribe to prepare bills for payment of enhanced honorarium to the anganwadi workers (persons, who have been trained under the Integrated Child Development Scheme to focus on the health and educational needs of children aged 0-6 years).
“The officials have been demanding a bribe of Rs 400 per worker for preparing the bill. It’s a serious matter. It’s a crime and the guilty officials will not be spared”, the minister warned.
The officials were deliberately delaying preparation of the bills of the anganwadi workers if they refused to pay them bribe, he said, and added that he had received a large number of complaints in this regard.
Chaudhary said fund for the payment of the enhanced honorarium would be released soon and directed the officials to make the payment within three days of getting the fund.
“The district officials have been directed to ensure quick payment of honorarium failing which they will be acted against”, the minister said.
Akhilesh Yadav’s government had recently announced a hike in the honorarium of the anganwadi workers.
The workers had been waging a battle to get their honorarium hiked for a long time. They had also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister that included their 17 point charter of demands. The workers were demanding that the honorarium be hiked by Rs 1,500.
The minister’s remarks have taken the bureaucracy by surprise but it was not clear if the remarks were candid admission or a sign of utter helplessness in the state.