NEW DELHI: The All-India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers has described the Union Budget proposals for 2006-07 as "highly disappointing".

In a statement here, the Federation said the Budget had "failed" to provide justice to more than 14-lakh anganwadi workers and helpers — key functionaries of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) at the grassroots level. "They are made to work for more than six to seven hours a day, discharging various responsibilities related to health and education, but are paid only a meagre honorarium. The Budget has no provision to increase their honorarium or improve their working conditions," it said.

The increase in allocation for the ICDS is "meagre" compared to the amount required to universalise the scheme and improve the conditions of anganwadi workers and helpers, it said. The Federation urged the Government to take immediate steps to universalise and institutionalise ICDS and increase the honorarium of anganwadi workers and helpers to Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.

The All-India Agricultural Workers' Union said: "Despite the welcome increase in Plan funds by 20.4 per cent, the proposed outlays for agriculture, health, education and employment generation in the Budget fail to impress."

"The Budget has failed to initiate a thorough process of land reforms in tandem with a well-financed National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. So even the minimum target cannot be achieved unless it is backed up by shifting government land, land fraudulently declared as forest and ceiling surplus to the landless and ensuring properfunctioning of the PDS," it added.

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