Published On : Thu, Oct 5th, 2017

Anganwadi workers’ protests continue, Jail Bharo Andolan was next in line

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Nagpur: The Angawadi workers of the state including that of Nagpur district are carrying out a ‘no work’ protest from September 11 under which a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ was carried out on Thursday. Around 60,000 children are deprived of nutritious meals due to pan-state protest.

Demonstrations are being carried out every day for an increase in the honorarium. The protestors also set an effigy of Pankaja Moode, Women and Child Welfare Minister, on fire. Hundreds of women were arrested during the ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’.
The workers have raised a demand for higher honorarium based on the seniority. As a result of this strike, the children are not receiving the nutritious food they are supplied from the Anganwadis.

At present, the workers are paid just Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,500 per month. Anganwadi workers and helpers are hired by the government to run the central government’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) welfare programme that provides nutrition, pre-school education to children below six years of age.

It is to be mentioned that the government has already raised the honorarium by 30 per cent. “We have already hiked the salaries. But, the protests are being continued. We are meeting the food supply for Mid Day meals from Savings”, informed Prashant Thorat, Deputy CEO, Women and Child Welfare Department, Nagpur.

Shreyas Meshram, a four-year-old child is already seriously unwell due to deficiency of nutritious meal.