E-Paper
Ludhiana anganwadi workers up in arms over clearance of pending dues
The Anganwadi Workers’ Union decried the failure of both the state and Union governments in releasing their honorarium in time and improving the condition of their workplace
Decrying the failure of both the state and Union governments in releasing their honorarium in time and improving the condition of their workplace, the Anganwadi Workers’ Union on Monday staged a protest outside the mini secretariat.
Protesters hit the streets across 23 districts, under the banner of Anganwadi Worker Union Punjab. There are over 4,500 workers and helpers in 15 blocks of Ludhiana alone.
Protesting workers rued that they have not received the monthly honorarium of ₹9,500 for the past five months, which is the only source of income for a number of widows and persons with disabilities working at the anganwadis.
They said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised to double the honorarium and improve the conditions of Anganwadi centres prior to the state elections, but nothing has materialised.
Union leaders submitted a demand letter to the district administration.
Leading the protest, district president and state general secretary of Punjab Anganwadi Workers Union Subhash Rani said, “The union government has not yet released the funds for allowance to Anganwadi workers and helpers for implementing a host of government schemes including Poshan Abhiyan launched in March 2018 and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana started in 2017.”
Rani added that the anganwadi centres are not being provided rents for their workspace and a huge number of posts are lying vacant in the anganwadi centre since 2014, as per the supreme court’s orders no post can remain for more than three months. She further said a united protest will be staged on the coming November 14 in chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s hometown of Sangrur.
Anganwadi Workers Union general secretary Bhinder Kaur, meanwhile, said “The anganwadis provide supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, nutrition & health education, immunisation, health check-ups and referral services to children in the 0-6 age group, the Punjab government is trying to shut down the anganwadis by linking the pre-primary education with schools which will be detrimental for us.”
Kaur pointed out that anganwadis are supposed to play an important role in providing basic nutrition, non-formal education and ensuring health as per the new education policy.
“Government has failed in addressing their woes even after 47 years of the launch of the scheme,” she said, adding that the protests were held marking the launch anniversary of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) — under which the anganwadis were started.
