Srinagar: Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers on Monday protested in the summer capital, Srinagar, demanding release of wages pending from last over three years.
Scores of ICDS workers, under the banner of J&K Helpers to Supervisors Association in ICDS department, assembled at Press Enclave in Srinagar on Monday and demanded that their wages, which are pending from last over three years, be released within 15 days.
Raising slogans in favour of their demands, the workers said their posts should be sanctioned as 850 women are working as helpers in the ICDS department. “We have not been paid wages from last over three years due to which order families are suffering. Whenever we ask for our salaries, they officials say that our posts are not sanctioned. But how are 850 women working as helpers in the department if our posts are not sanctioned,” General Secretary of J&K Helpers to Supervisors Association, Nuzhat, told reporters.
“Now, we want them to sanction our post if it has not been done so far. Two of our helpers have already attempted suicide due to depression following nonpayment of salaries. Most of the women working as helpers are widows or from poor families,” she said.
She said they (workers) have been going to the higher officials in their department and to Civil Secretariat to get their grievances mitigated. “So far they have only been accusing us that the issues will be resolved. But, even after three years we and our families are awaiting for our wages,” she added.
She urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and get their wages released immediately so that they can cater to the need of their families. “If their salaries were not released within 15 days, they will be forced to protest outside the Civil Secretariat,” she warned.
