Anganwadi workers seek increase in honorarium

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 18

Members of the All-Punjab Anganwadi Union held a meeting to decide their plan of action with regard to their long-pending demands, including increase in honorarium and regularisation of jobs.

Addressing a gathering of anganwadi workers and helpers at Teachers’ Home, Hargobing Kaur said, “There are more than 54,000 anganwadi workers and helpers in 22 districts of the state, rendering their services for decades now. But when it comes to fulfilling their basic demands, successive governments have failed miserably to fulfil them so far. There were high hopes from the Congress government but even after two years of its rule, things have barely changed for us. Now we have decided to launch an all out attack against the state government.”

Kaur added, “We have called a state-level meeting at Teachers’ Home in Bathinda on April 20. The Central government had increased the honorarium of angandwadi workers and helpers by Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 last year but the state government has failed to provide the same. The government had even decided to provide an ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh for anganwadi workers and Rs 50,000 for helpers retiring at the age of 70, but it has not provided the same. The demand for regularisation of jobs has been lying pending for decades and there are no retirement benefits for anganwadi workers. The government promised ex gratia amount but even that was also not provided.”

She said, “Providing no retirement benefits is sheer injustice to the anganwadi workers who have rendered their services for years. If the government does not provide us retirement benefits then we will be forced to intensify our stir in the coming weeks.”