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Anganwadi workers stage dharna

Staff Reporter

Complain of poor remuneration; demand recognition as government employees

CAUGHT IN THE RAIN: A protester along with her child participating in the Anganwadi workers protest in the Capital on Tuesday. Photo: Anu Pushkarna

NEW DELHI: Anganwadi workers and helpers from all over the country staged a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday demanding, among other things, recognition as government employees.

The all-India president of the Joint Platform of Action (JPA), Achintya Sinha, told the protesters that despite a clear employer-employee relationship between the Government and the workers, the latter are yet to be recognised as government employees.

"The present United Progressive Alliance Government, supported by the CPI (M) and its allies, is following in the footsteps of its predecessors," charged Mr. Sinha.

Mr. Sinha said the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) that the angawadi workers and helpers were supposed to carry forward to its logical end was in a pathetic state.

The Government had claimed that the scheme was to ensure physical, mental and social development of children below the age of six but it was an irony that it spends only Rs. 1.30 to Rs. 1.50 per capita under the scheme, Mr. Sinha told the protesters.

Highlighting the issue of poor remuneration, the JPA leaders lamented that though the workers and helpers work for more than eight hours a day they are still considered part-time workers.

"The workers are paid only Rs. 1,000 a month, while the helpers get only Rs. 500. They do not get any dearness allowance (DA), no paid leave, and they also do not have social security."

"The Government claims that these workers are the most visible Government functionaries in rural areas and yet they are not recognised as Government servants," said one JPA leader. "In the absence of any social security, the workers are subjected to administrative coercion and vindictiveness by political parties."

The anganwadi workers and helpers are also demanding Group III status for the workers and Group IV status for helpers. Others demands include interim relief with DA; social security; upgrading, standardising and expanding the ICDS; complying with Supreme Court directives and opening 1.4 lakhs more anganwadi centres; granting adequate budget for ICDS and no privatisation of the centres or handing them over to the non-government organisations, private

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