The bill of the group remains unpaid for the past 10 months.

The reimbursement delayed on flimsy ground

Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts Exclusive

The Anganwadi workers engaged in supplying nutritious diets to pregnant and lactating women have not been paid compensation since their bills have not been reimbursed for the last 10 months. Resultantly the Diwali of these women will be dry and sparkle less. Despite a provision of Rs 90 crore, these women are forced to frequent the office of the Women and Child Welfare Commissioner.

The women and child welfare department provides a fresh nutritious diet to the children in the age group 06 months to 3 years and 03 years to 06 years attached to Anganwadis. The contract of preparing and supplying food is entrusted to women’s self-help groups.

After rendering these services for a month, these groups submit the bills to the Child Welfare Project Officer. The bills are reimbursed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in rural areas.

They are reimbursed by the Women and Child Welfare Commissioner in urban areas.
However, the bills submitted by these self-help groups have not been reimbursed for the last 10 months.

The Union and State Govt share the expenditure of this scheme in the ratio of 50:50. At present the fund’s worth Rs 90 crore are lying with the Women and Child Welfare department.

The Union Govt has directed the state govt to reimburse the money directly to these groups since December 2021.

In response, the self-groups have registered with the Women and Child Welfare department. Despite this the reimbursement is being postponed on flimsy grounds, by the women and child welfare department, some of these groups allege.

The demoralization of self-help groups began after the Corona pandemic. Our bills were not reimbursed despite our several visits to the Women and Child Welfare Commissionerate Sanjyot Date, Adarsh Mahila Bachat Gat said.

Even the bills submitted till December 2021 are yet to be reimbursed, Vaishnavi Sawant, Vaishnavrani Mahila Bachat Gat said.