Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 06 October 2021
National Nutrition Mission (Poshan Abhiyan) is India’s Flagship Programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The scheme is implemented in all three districts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 24 employees have been working to implement the scheme at State, District and Block levels.
All 24 employees engaged for implementing the National Nutrition Mission (Poshan Abhiyan) have not received their salaries for almost ten months. These staff responsible for implementing the NNM are posted in all parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands including the remote Nicobar District.
Speaking to Nicobar Times, one employee working to implement NNM informed that they are suffering because of non-payment of salaries for a long time and have approached the authorities at the Directorate of Social Welfare multiple times, but nothing has been done so far for them.
Another employee informed Nicobar Times, that the staff of NNM working in remote areas such as Nicobar District are the worst sufferers because they are not locals of the area and are being forced to struggle every day to maintain themselves and their families far away from their homes without any salary.
The staff of NNM after approaching the Director of Social Welfare and the Programme Officer (ICDS) multiple times, also wrote to the Secretary (Social Welfare), Andaman and Nicobar Administration a few months ago, but their salaries have still not been paid.
One employee working for the implementation of NNM also approached the Prime Minister’s Office through CPGRAMS. He later received a reply regarding his grievance from the Director of Social Welfare. The Director informed that Poshan Abhiyan is implemented in Andaman and Nicobar Islands using the funds received from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, GOI. He added that Andaman and Nicobar Islands being a UT without legislature is entitled to a 100% grant from the Central Govt. for implementing the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The Director informed that the department has not received the balance fund from Ministry for the FY 2020-21 till date. He also informed that the fund for FY 2021-22 is also pending from the Ministry. He also mentioned that the department has written several reminder letters to the Ministry of Women and Child Development for the release of the pending funds.
The Director concluded by informing that the salary of the staff engaged under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Poshan Abhiyan, A & N Islands shall be released subject to the receipt of funds from the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This communication from the Director was sent on the 29th of July 2021.
The staff of NNM also informed Nicobar Times that their contract period ended on 30th September 2021 and usually they would continue working until fresh contract order was received, but this time they have decided to break their services because of non-payment of their salaries for almost past ten months.
The staff are currently facing a lot of issues because of non-payment of salaries. Andaman and Nicobar Administration should again take up the issue with the appropriate authorities at the Ministry of Women and Child Development and ensure that the salaries of these staff are paid immediately.
The political leaders of the Islands should also take up the issue of non-payment of the salaries to the staff of NNM (Poshan Abhiyan) with the Ministry and get the required funds released.