PESHAWAR, Aug 19: The monthly salary of about 16,000 lady health workers (LHWs) of national programme for family planning and primary health care, NWFP, have not been paid since June 2003.

The programme previously known as prime minister programme for family planning and primary health care was started in 1994 with main focus on family planning to control population explosion in the country.

Over 100,000 LHWs were recruited all over the country on a monthly salary of Rs1,600.

According to an official source, the federal health ministry has released 25 per cent funds for the fiscal 2003-04. However, the FPIU, the execution agency for the programme, is insisting on the release of 50 per cent funds as has been the practice since the initiation of the programme in 1994.

Therefore, the FPIU has refused to get the 25 per cent releases made by the health ministry for the current fiscal, thus, depriving the LHWs of their monthly salaries for the last three months, the official said.

The non-payment of salaries since June 2003 has created many economic problems for the 16,000 LHWs in the province and 700 in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

They have appealed to the concerned quarters to resolve their salary problem as early as possible so that they could feed their dependents.

The total strength of the LHWs in Peshawar district is 4,000.—APP