Karnataka - Belgaum   

Anganwadi staff take out rally

FOR RIGHTS: Anganwadi workers taking out a procession in Belgaum on Friday.

Belgaum: A large number of anganwadi workers and assistants from 10 taluks of Belgaum district converged here on Friday and took out a rally opposing certain decisions of the Government and its failure to pay honorarium for the last three months.

The rally was organised under the leadership of Karnataka State Angwanwadi Workers and Assistants Federation president V.G. Suppimath and secretary Anupama S. Kundri.

Anganwadi workers and assistants staged a demonstration in front of the zilla panchayat office and submitted a memorandum in support of their demands.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, Ms. Suppimath and Ms. Kundri said their federation would oppose the decision of the State Government to cancel appointments of workers made through the committees headed by legislators.

Drawing attention to their plight, they said there were 80,000 workers and assistants serving in anganwadi centres in the State for a paltry monthly honorarium of Rs. 1,800 without any other benefits as enjoyed by other government employees.

Yet, the Government has been utilising their services for other purposes in places away from their headquarters without paying even for their travelling expenses, leave alone additional wages.

Several organisers had served the Government for 35 years and returned home after retirement in “empty hands”. Apparently, there was no “social security” as ensured for other government employees.

The federation was opposed to Women and Child Development Department’s direction that anganwadi centres should obtain “bisi oota” (mid-day meal for schoolchildren) from the nearest school instead of serving “poushtik aahar” (nutritious food).

This only shows that the Government was discriminating against children attending anganwadi kendras who need more nutrition for healthy development, they said.

They said many of the kendras were in bad shape without proper infrastructure facilities and kitchen.

Added to these problems were harassment and exploitation by government officials and villagers, which should be stopped immediately.

If the Government does not concede their demands, they would not hesitate to organise a “Bangalore Chalo” agitation soon, Ms. Suppimath said.

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