Vikram Aditya
Port Blair, Sept 08: Management glitches have led immense stress for a significant pool of workers of the Andaman and Nicobar AIDS Control Society (ANACS) and ANFPDCL.
The employees now are apparently close to the “breaking point” after stomaching the hold-up of salaries for the last four months. While employees allege administrative lapses, officials cite delay in release of funds from the National AIDS Control Organisation as the reason for the setback.
“The ANACS is a very vital unit of the Health Department here. Under the control of the National AIDS Control Organisation, a huge pool of workers is responsible for vital health check-ups like HIV-AIDS tests, Syphilis, Hepatitis etc. Counselling services are also provided by the staff of ANACS. Moreover, the agency is also responsible for smooth operation of the Blood Banks, Blood Component Separation Unit, conduct of Blood Donation camps etc. ANACS staff are posted in all health institutions spread in all parts of these islands. However, the hold-up of salaries for the last four months have shattered the morale of the employees,” says a HIV-AIDS Counsellor requesting anonymity.
“It has become very difficult for us to pull on and manage our household expenditures without receiving salaries on time. We are compelled to borrow money from friends and relatives and it’s quite a loss of face when we are not able to repay in time. We are perhaps the lone group of health workers in the islands who don’t receive their salaries on times. Immediate intervention of the Health Department is required to address the subject that forced ANACS to misery,” laments another.
Admitting the hold-up of wages for the past four months, an ANACS official, on conditions of anonymity, said that the matter has been taken up with the National AIDS Control Organisation. “Grants for ANACS projects and salary of staff are allotted directly by the NACO. However, the Organisation has made certain changes in the allocation system recently. Accordingly, the ANACS is in the process of implementing the changes here. Majority of the works have been completed and the disbursal of salary of the staff is likely to be executed by this week.”
