Anganwadi workers protest, demand increase in salary

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, January 9

Infuriated over ‘wrong policies’ of government, the Anganwadi workers staged a protest on Gill Road on Wednesday. They also blocked the traffic after staging a dharna at Samaj Bhalai Office. Today’s protest was a part of the national-level strike of the anganwadi workers.

The protesting workers blamed the Central government lead by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to pay attention towards their long-pending demands. A member of the Anganwadi Mulazam Union District, Surjit Kaur, said the anganwadi workers and helpers were forced to work on very low salary starting from Rs 2,250 – Rs 4,500. When the people are struggling due to inflation, the anganwadi workers and helpers are being exploited by offering very low salaries, the protestors said.

“Despite our repeated demands, the anganwadi workers are not being regularised by the central government. There should be separate department for proper implementation of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program and all the anganwadi workers and helpers should be given status of class 3 and 4 employees. The anganwadi workers should be paid Rs 24,000, while helpers should be paid Rs 18,000 as monthly salary”, said Subash Rani, president of the union.

The workers demanded from the government to build up proper buildings to run anganwadi centres. “All the centres must be equipped with the basic facility of safe drinking water, seating arrangement, toilets and power supply. The pension scheme should also be implemented for the workers and helpers. There should be no privatisation of the anganwadi centres. The government should not introduce packed food for children at schools,” said another member of the union.

Police force and a fire brigade was deployed outside Samaj Bhalai Complex on Gill Road to control the situation.