Karnataka   

Anganwadi staff seek raise

DAVANGERE: Anganwadi workers and assistants have demanded an increase in honorarium and retirement benefits on a par with government employees. They will stage an agitation all over the State on July 7.

Talking to reporters here on Thursday, H.K. Ramachandrappa, president of the Karnataka Rajya Anganwadi Karyakartheyara Mathu Sahayakiyara Federation, and Vishalakshi, vice-president, said that anganwadi workers had plenty of work to do for all the child and women welfare programmes.

Over one lakh workers and assistants were involved in pre-school education, healthcare in rural areas and in rural health education, Mr. Ramachandrappa said. They worked more than 10 hours a day, and the honorarium given to them was a pittance. It was time that the Government enhanced it to Rs. 3,000 for workers and Rs. 2,000 for assistants, he added.

Mr. Ramachandrappa said that with inflation and soaring prices of essential commodities, anganwadi workers and assistants found it difficult to make ends meet with Rs. 200 as honorarium for the amount of work they did. The federation had submitted a memorandum to the Government.

Many anganwadi workers and assistants had retired without getting any retirement benefits.

The federation had asked the Government to provide Provident Fund facility for workers and assistants, for which Rs. 150 could be deducted from each worker’s salary.

The cumulative amount, along with the Government’s contribution, could be given to them after retirement.

Other demands were houses under the Ashraya scheme, below the poverty line cards and LPG stoves in each anganwadi kendra as firewood was not abundantly available in villages anymore.

M.B. Sharadamma, K. Nilambike and M.S. Vanajakshi were present.

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