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Midwives take out protest rally

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

NOVEL PROTEST: Members of the Puducherry Auxiliary Nursing Midwife Welfare Association at a rally in Puducherry on Monday.

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Auxiliary Nursing Midwife (ANM) Welfare Association took out a rally to oppose the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission with regards to basic pay on Monday.

Around 90 members of the association from Puducherry and Karaikal went blindfolded in the rally. The rally started at the Tiruvalluvar Bus Stand and ended near the Government Hospital.

In Puducherry and Karaikal, there were over 170 ANMs who were primarily involved in maternity and child care, family welfare schemes, immunisation of children against diseases, preventive measures against communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, polio, jaundice and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

“The Sixth Pay Commission has recommended a basic pay of Rs. 4,850 on a par with the employees of Group ‘D’ for ANMs. We are already getting a basic pay of Rs. 4,000,” general secretary of the association M. Sahirabanu said.

She said they were involved in implementing several national programmes. “We carry out awareness programmes for family planning, prevention of female infanticide and care for adolescent girls,” she said.

Among other demands, the association said the government should change the recruitment rules and provide Assured Career Progression.

At the end of the rally, members of the association held talks with the Health Secretary.

“We will have another meeting with the Health Secretary on April 15,” Ms. Sahirabanu said.

The association had also staged a demonstration on March 31 to put forward these demands.

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