Around 300 employees working at Anganwadis from different parts of the district gathered at the Collectorate here on Wednesday in protest against the state government for not hiking their pay.
Teachers and helpers demanded that they be paid ₹19,500 and ₹ 18,000 respectively. They are paid half of that amount, said A. Varadhalakshmi, a worker. They said that the government was not bothered about the employees.
They complained that there is an acute shortage of teachers and helpers in the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) centres. “Each teacher takes care of register of four schools. She plays the role of a helper, a teacher and an administrator because of lack of employees but the amenities are not great,” Ms. Varadhalakshmi said.
Now, there are 1,644 vacant positions, according to a data obtained by employees from a recent ICDS study. There are about 2,000 Anganwadis in the state and approximately 3,000 workers, says T. Daisy, State general secretary, Anganwadis Workers and Helpers Association.
“We get poor retirement benefits and are not compensated in time. The teachers must manage many children during the summer as there is no vacation. Unless the status changes, we will continue to raise our voices,” she added.
