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Recognise us as government staff: anganwadi workers

Staff Reporter

SEEKING JUSTICE: Activists of the All-India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers staging a demonstration on Parliament Street to press their demands, in New Delhi on Tuesday. — Photo: PTI

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

All-India president of the Joint Platform of Action (JPA) Achintya Sinha said that despite a clear employer-employee relation between the Government and the workers, the employees were yet to be recognised as government employees.

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

Mr. Sinha said the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), which the anganwadi workers and helpers were supposed to carry forward, 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 spent only Rs. 1.30 to Rs. 1.50 per capita under the scheme, he told the protesters.

Highlighting the issue of poor remuneration, the JPA leaders lamented that though the workers and helpers worked for more than eight hours, they were still considered part-time workers. "The workers are paid only Rs. 1,000 a month and the helpers Rs. 500. They is no dearness allowance (DA), no paid leave and they also do not have social security," said a leader.

He said the Government claimed that these workers were the most visible Government functionaries in rural areasand yet they were not recognised as Government servants. In the absence of any social security, the workers were subjected to "administrative coercion" and "vindictiveness" of political parties.

The protesters are also demanding Group III status for workers and Group IV status for helpers. Other demands include interim relief with DA, ensuring social security, upgrading, standardising and expanding the ICDS.

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