Members of the Puducherry Anganwadi Workers Association staged a dharna in front of Swadeshi Cotton Mills in Puducherry to remind the Centre to implement minimum wages, social security including ESI, PF and pension for all the anganwadi workers as advocated in the 45th National Workers Conference.
The association demanded that the Centre should not reduce the budgetary allocation for ICDS schemes and withdraw any move to rope in private players for implementation of the scheme.
Among other demands, the association pressed the Puducherry government to immediately implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission and also disburse 50 per cent arrears under the Sixth Pay Commission.
The government should also implement the Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme available for workers employed in other departments. The government should also withdraw the move to appoint a supervisor.
‘Regularise service’
The government should regularise the service of anganwadi workers who have completed three years of service. The government should also provide jobs on compassionate grounds to wards of workers who died in harness. The government should also fix a minimum pension for workers at ₹10,000. The solatium for the workers who died on duty should be increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh, they demanded.
