The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Busy workers need baby-sitters too

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Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Busy workers need baby-sitters too

Ravi Reddy

The government has decided to appoint ayahs to take care of women labourers’ children

- Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Hard day: A woman worker quenches her thirst.

HYDERABAD: Baby-sitters will now be appointed to take care of children, who are below six years of age, of women labourers engaged under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Presently, women labourers drop their children in the Anganwadi centres where they are provided nutritious food and imparted pre-school education. But the timings of the centres are not convenient for the women as these centres function only till 1 p.m. and the ayahs leave by then.

With a view to taking continuous care of the children till their mothers return from work, the Government has decided to employ one more ayah in each centre wherever there are more than five children. These ayahs will be taken on rolls under the NREGS-AP scheme.

This facility will be undertaken on a pilot basis in one mandal each in Chittoor, Medak and Mahabubnagar districts. The ayahs under NREGS-AP will be engaged on days when at least 20 women in a habitation go to work.

NGOs help

The field staff are asked to create awareness among the labourers about the extended hours. Collectors of the three districts have been asked to take the help of non-governmental organisations in taking up the programme on a pilot basis.

The NREGS is being implemented in 22 districts in the State covering 2.28 crore adults, who have enrolled for job cards. As many as 1.12 crore women are enrolled for NREGS works.

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