Thrissur: Contract employees under the Mission Vatsalya scheme of the Women and Child Development Department will not receive a festival allowance this Onam. Officials turned down the demand, citing that the scheme is centrally sponsored. Authorities argued that granting the allowance could prompt similar demands from workers in other centrally sponsored schemes, creating an additional financial burden for the state. The same reason was given for rejection last year.

Mission Vatsalya operates with 60 per cent central funding and 40 per cent state funding. However, employees under other centrally sponsored programmes, including Anganwadi and ASHA workers, are provided with allowances. The scheme currently employs 443 staff, including 154 Child Helpline workers.

As the primary department handling matters related to children in need of care and those in conflict with the law under the Juvenile Justice Act, Mission Vatsalya staff face a heavy workload. Yet their wages and benefits are often delayed due to mismatched central and state allocations.