Not promoted, anganwari helper cries foul, protests

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 23

Paramjit Kaur, an anganwari helper from Talndi block, on Wednesday opened a front against the District Programme Office (DPO) and accused the authorities of not promoting her and also of flouting the orders issued by former ADC Shena Aggarwal.

Elaborating on her complaint, helper Paramjit Kaur said she had been working as a helper in Talwandi block for the past nine years. “After completion of five years of service, I moved my case for promotion to the post of anganwari worker. In 2016, Chinderpal Kaur joined as a helper in Talwandi Block and after two months she was promoted as a worker,” she said.

Paramjit then complained to the authorities and after pursuing her case for more than a year, then ADC Bathinda Shena Aggarwal gave a judgment in her favour and indicted Child Development Programme Officer of the block Manjit Kaur and supervisor of the block Harmail Kaur of wrongly stopping the promotion of Paramjit.

“Though copies of the orders issued by the ADC were sent to the office of the District Programme Officer almost five months back no action has been taken in the case. We have been making rounds of the office and every time we go there the officers give us a new excuse. First they told me that I had crossed the age limit for becoming a worker then they alleged that my matriculation certificate was not original,” Paramjit said.

“It seems to be a case of money exchanging hands. A helper who worked for only two months was promoted but my promotion was stopped despite the fact that I have now completed nine years of service. I urge the authorities to look into the matter,” she said.

District Programme Officer Rakesh Walia said the office had received an inquiry into the case from the office of the Deputy Commissioner and after constituting a committee the matter was looked into.

“We submitted that the former ADC accessed the entire case on the basis of new guidelines while it should have been based on the old guidelines since the case of promotion was already underway. We have also attached a statement by the Allahabad board stating that the matriculation certificate submitted by Paramjit Kaur is not authentic, ” he said.

Victim was working for past six months

Helper Paramjit Kaur said she had been working as a helper in Talwandi block for the past nine years. "After completion of five years of service, I moved my case for promotion to the post of anganwari worker. In 2016, Chinderpal Kaur joined as a helper in Talwandi Block and after two months, she was promoted as a worker.