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Anganwadi workers on warpath

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

A large number of Anganwadi workers staging a protest rally before the Secretariat in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. —

BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of anganwadi workers swarmed the Mahatma Gandhi Marg demanding settling of some contentious issues associated with their services here on Tuesday. Every inch of space in front of the State Assembly was occupied by the workers. As they were proceeding to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to convey their grievances, police personnel stopped them and in the ensuing tussle some of the workers got injured.

The workers gathered under the banner of All Orissa Anganwadi Ladies Workers’ Association (AOALWA) to protest against self-help groups supplying cooked food to children.

“According to guidelines, children are entitled to get nutritionally balanced food which could only be ensured by anganwadi workers. Even if SHGs are able to prepare food, the necessary ingredients are lacking,” President of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha (BMS) Prasant Padhi said.

Similarly, AOALWA said the workers should immediately be paid Rs. 500 per month as announced by the Central Government recently and that they should also be recognised as Government employees. Their other demands include insurance coverage for workers, summer vacation, tour allowance in urban areas and incentive for anganwadi workers, who had worked for more than 10 years. Initially, they wanted Women and Child Development Minister Pramilla Mallick to receive their memorandum. But in her absence , they decided to meet Mr. Patnaik.

It soon turned into a scuffle between police personnel and anganwadi workers. Several women workers were injured. Later Ms. Mallick arrived and announced that she was unable to give any assurance to the workers due to election code. However, she assured them that a decision would be taken during first week of October.

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