As part of a State-wide agitation, the Kalaburagi district unit of the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers Association affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) staged a protest outside the office of the Deputy Director for Women and Child Welfare in Kalaburagi on Monday demanding revision of the honorarium for anganwadi workers and helpers and to regularise their services.
The State government should increase the honorarium of anganwadi workers and helpers by ₹1,000 and also provide cell phones to all anganwadi workers.
Association district president Gauramma Patil said that the services of anganwadi workers are being utilised for the implementation of various schemes and programmes but they are being paid less.
Ms. Patil urged the government to treat the helpers and anganwadi workers as group D and group C employees and fix their pay scale accordingly.
She also urged the government to regularise the services of anganwadi workers and helpers and increase the gratuity amount from the existing ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh and that of helpers from ₹30,000 to ₹50,000. The government should extend social security benefits and increase rent allowance and dearness allowance for all anganwadi workers and helpers.
Accusing the BJP-led Central government for its attempt to privatise Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Ms. Patil said that the Central government is trying to eliminate the ICDS and make the lives of anganwadi workers miserable.
Their demands also included the withdrawal of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The Centre should allocate adequate funds for the effective implementation of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programmes, particularly Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), they said.
