Anganwadi workers’ conference
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 28: The 6th State Conference of the Jammu and Kashmir Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union was held here today, drawing participants from various districts across the Union Territory.
Usha Rani, president, All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers and Veena Gupta, its vice president were greeted with revolutionary slogans on the occasion.
In her inaugural address, Usha Rani exhorted stated that there is no alternative but to get united to fight for the issues and rights of the workers and helpers to force the governments to concede their demands. We have to be on the forefront to lead these workers and helpers by educating and organizing them into one-fold to lead persistent struggles. Governments should take steps for regularisation of these workers and helpers to secure their future, she asserted.
J&K CITU president and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said that Anganwadi workers and helpers are rendering vital services under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) but continue to face neglect from the Government. The workers and helpers are being paid their honorarium after four to five months, which is unjustified. “Payment of honorarium should be made strictly on a monthly basis,” Tarigami said.
He demanded the implementation of Minimum Wages Act as per the recommendations of the 45th Indian Labour Conference and urged the Government to ensure timely payment of rent to those helpers whose houses are being used as Anganwadi centres.
The Scheme workers have been suffering adversely due to payment of meagre sums instead of regular wages under Minimum Wages Act, hitting them along with their families extensively, he added.
No Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) has been conducted since 2018 for the promotion of Matriculate and Graduate Anganwadi worklers/helpers who feel to be hopeless and it is imperative for the representative Government to take immediate steps to address this problem. Tarigami demanded that the Helpers to Anganwadi workers who were disengaged in 2018 on the pretext of non-existence of posts be re-engaged without delay. He also said that at least Rs 350 per month should be paid to each worker as mobile charges and that the current fuel or cooking allowance of Rs 30 per month is extremely meagre and must be revised.
Lateefa Ganai, president J&K Democratic Women’s Federation demanded that the rent of Anganwadi centres in rural areas should be enhanced substantially on the pattern of towns and cities.
Haneefa Mir, president J&K Anganwadi and Helpers Union urged the administration to immediately address the long-pending issues and recognise the contribution of Anganwadi workers and helpers who are the backbone of child and maternal welfare programmes in Jammu and Kashmir.
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