Employees at Tamil Nadu’s One Stop Centres, which provide support to women and girls affected by violence, have reportedly gone without salaries for three months, according to a report by Dinamalar. The workers are seeking payment of their arrears before Diwali, but the supplied report does not include confirmation from the state government or the department responsible for the programme.
The One Stop Centre scheme is implemented under the state Social Welfare Department through the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. The centres operate across all districts, with two to four centres established in each district depending on population. Each centre has about 13 employees, including case workers.
According to the report, more than 1,678 people work across the state’s centres. Their responsibilities include providing immediate assistance to women and girls under 18 who face violence at home, in the workplace or in public spaces. Employees also handle calls received through the women’s helpline.
Workers quoted by Dinamalar said the continued delay had made it difficult to manage household expenses during the festival period. They also said some employees were considering applying to move to other departments because of the recurring salary problem.
The reported delay raises a public-service concern because the centres depend on trained staff to provide immediate support, coordinate assistance and respond to helpline calls. Any staff turnover could affect continuity, although the supplied report does not establish that services have been disrupted.
The state Social Welfare Department and other authorities responsible for releasing funds have not provided a response in the material supplied for this report. It is therefore not independently established whether salaries are pending across all centres, what caused the delay, or whether the arrears will be cleared before Diwali.
