Aanganbadi workers stage massive dharna

Raipur, February 24, 2012

Upset by government’s apathetic attitude towards Aanganbadi workers, the Pragatishel Aanganbadi Karykarta Avum Sahayika Sangh (PAKASS) on Friday staged massive dharna in favour of its 12-point demand at dharna spot near Sports Complex Budhapara on Friday. After dharna, the sangh submitted memorandums on the name of Chief Minister Raman Singh and Women and Child Development Department Lata Usendi to the representative of Raipur Collector.

The sangh demanded from the government to disburse stipend peer to Centre to the Aanganbadi workers till it accords them status of an employee. “IT is unfortunate that the government imposes all the works on Aanganbadi workers through Collectors and tehsildars but do not give sufficient stipend,” the sangh members said.

The sangh’s general secretary Bharat Bhusan Pandey said the government was anti-people and hence was ignoring Aanganbadi workers. “When the salary, pension and other perks of ministers, parliamentarians and legislators can be increased then why should the Aanganbadi workers be deprived of their deserved rights? While the ministers, MPs and MLAs make huge money through corruption, the Aanganbadi workers simply concentrate in discharging their responsibility sincerely,” he said.

He pointed that the government also shows generosity to the industrialists by announcing packages meant to benefit them but barely thinks to increase the stipend of the Aanganbadi workers who are working for about 15-20 years. “These workers do not even get remuneration which could help them live,” he said.

The sangh president Rajkumari Daharia said that their agitation would continue till the government fulfils their demand. “Our next step will be indefinite strike for which all the workers would have to unite and struggle,” she said.

The demands of the sangh include – accord status of government employees to the Aanganbadi workers, bring them under the domain of provident fund, either give them benefit of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) or implement medical allowance for them, increase house rent allowance, stipend should be disbursed till 10^th of every month, increase fuel allowance, hike building repairing and maintenance fund, recruit supervisors through promotion, give priority to Aanganbadi workers on the basis of their eligibility and experience during recruitment of Shikshakarmis, etc.  

The gathering of Aanganbadi workers was also addressed by sangh’s vice president Aradhna Gautam, Laxmi Kosle, Hema Bharti, Anita Daharia, Rukmani Sahu, Hira Sahu, Shivbati Sahu, etc.