leaves of Director General (DG) of Health Services and senior accountant of DG office forced the contractual employees of the Uttarakhand State AIDS Control Society (USACS) to celebrate a dark Diwali this year.
Departmental sources informed that it is interesting to note that when the budget for the salaries of these employees arrived after a delay of about four months at the office of DG health services, the DG was on leave and when he arrived the accountant went on leave due which the salaries could not be transferred to the USACS.
These employees who are working in various blood banks of the state, Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) centres for the AIDS patients and Integrated Counseling and Testing Centers (ICTC) as counselors, technicians, pharmacists and data operators have not received their salaries for last five months.
The President of Contractual workers of USACS, MS Aswal informed that about 120 employees are yet to get their salaries for last five months.
He said that the delay in salaries is causing problems to these employees and the commitment of senior officers for payment of the pending salaries before Diwali also did not materialise. The non receipt of salaries is also reflecting in the work of these employees.
One of a technician working in an ICTC centre said that despite of working tirelessly one feels offended when salary is not received in time and that too during the time of a festival like Diwali. He said that he had to lend money from his friend to buy sweets and crackers on Diwali.
When contacted the Additional Project Director USACS, DR RK Pandey claimed that budget for the pending salaries has arrived in the office and it would be disbursed to the employees soon.
The department sources revealed that the problem of delay in salaries arose in this financial year as the National AIDS Control Society (NACO) started sending the funds to the State Government instead of sending it directly to USACS as done earlier. The Government sends the budget to the DG health office which in turn provides it to USACS.