Consider Giving Interest On Late Salary Paid To Anganwadi Workers: P&H High Court Asks Punjab Government

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab Government to consider paying interest on delayed salary payments to Anganwadi workers.

A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry had taken suo motu cognizance over the alleged non-payment of honorarium to nearly 50,000 Anganwadi workers for six months.

However, the Chief Secretary submitted that arrears of 06 months' of honorarium withheld for the said Anganwadi workers have been cleared.

The reply reveals that delay has occurred due to technical issue and after completion of mapping of SNA Bank Account funds had been released.

"Since the State of Punjab is a welfare State, which may also consider paying appropriate quantum of interest over the delayed payment of honorarium to the anganwadi workers who had not received honorarium from the last several months," the bench added.

It further observed that, "We hope and expect that the State of Punjab shall rise to the occasion and pass appropriate orders instead of rejecting the aforesaid observation of this Court in a mechanical manner."

While disposing of the plea, the Court said that, "Let the aforesaid decision as regards payment of interest on delayed payment be taken and made within a period of 60 days."

The suo moto was taken on 

As per newspaper report published on October 2, over 50,000 anganwadi workers and helpers working in nearly 27,000 centres across Punjab have not received their honorarium for the past six months. The workers get ₹11,000 per month, of which ₹4,500 is the honorarium component. This includes ₹3,000 from the Centre and ₹1,500 from the state government. However, since April, this amount has not been credited into their accounts, union leaders alleged.

Fed up with the delay, the childcare workers staged a massive protest outside the office of the Social Security Department in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Vipin Pal Yadav, Addl. AG, Punjab. 

Title: Court on its own motion v. State of Punjab through its Chief Secretary

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (PH) 418

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