The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has demanded that the government establish a separate directorate for implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme, besides setting up a new department to run the anganwadis, instead of privatising the ICDS through Public-Private Partnership, restructuring, etc.
Several anganwadi workers from across the district formed a human chain braving the rains at Rani Channamma Circle here on the occasion of World Population Day on Monday.
CITU’s district general secretary G.M. Jainekhan said the government should regularise the services of all anganwadi workers, and provide travel and dearness allowances. Though anganwadi workers played an important role, they were deprived of social security benefits such as gratuity, pension, and provident fund and medical facilities. Often these workers were harassed by some officials and panchayat members when they demanded proper infrastructure facilities such as permanent houses, drinking water, toilets, etc.
He said the cost of living had gone up due to steep increase in prices of food grains and other essential commodities. He urged the government to ensure that no worker was forced to work to serve the interests of a political party in power.
Rally
Meanwhile, the district administration, zilla panchayat, Belagavi City Corporation, Department of Sports & Youth Empowerment and Department of Health and Family Welfare organised an awareness rally to mark the occasion of World Population Day. The rally was formally inaugurated by Suresh C. Angadi, MP.
Our Kalaburagi Correspondent reports:
'Regularise services'
The Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers’ Association, affiliated to Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), staged protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Kalaburagi city on Monday demanding regularisation of their services and strengthening of the Integrated Child Development Scheme programme.
The anganwadi workers took out a rally and burnt the effigy of Union and State governments to support the nationwide protest demanding regularisation of their services and protesting against the reduction of funds allocatied to the ICDS programme in the 2016-17 Union Budget.
Association district secretary Gauramma Patil alleged that the Centre had neglected the ICDS by allocating just Rs.15,873 crore in the 2016-17 budget. The ICDS programme, which is considered as one of the largest integrated family and community welfare schemes, required at least Rs.36,000 crore every year, she said.
Allocation of meagre funds to such a scheme will have a serious impact on the health and fight against malnourishment among mothers and children. She wanted the Centre tp establish a separate department for effective implementation of the programme. Besides regularisation of services of the anganwadi workers, the government should provide them job security by declaring them as full-time employees. The anganwadi workers and assistants should be considered as group ‘C’ and group “D” employees and the minimum honorarium should be fixed at Rs.20,000 and Rs.17,000 a month respectively.
She demanded a raise in gratuity for the anganwadi workers up to Rs.2 lakh at the time of retirement. At present the gratuity amount was Rs.50, 000 for anganwadi workers and Rs.20,000 for assistant workers.
Ms.Patil said the government should pay additional wages for additional works by revising their honorarium accordingly. She also demanded social security benefits to anganwadi workers and access scholarship benefits to their children.
Our Raichur Correspondent reports:
Hundreds of anganwadi workers, under the banner of Karnataka State Anganawadi Workers' Union affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, protested outside the Tahsildar's office here on Monday, condemning the government's move to hand over anganwadis to non-governmental organisations in the name of implementing the ICDS in Mission Mode. They demanded that the government develop the anganwadis as childcare centres relieved from ICDS implementation and establish a separate directorate for effective implementation of ICDS.
"The concept of Mission Mode is a hindrance to effective implementation of ICDS. Instead of increasing the quantity of nutritious foods to be provided to pregnant women, newborn and lactating mothers, the government is handing over anganwadis to NGOs for the latter's benefits. The move, if implemented, is likely to render anganwadi workers jobless," H. Padma, a leader of CITU, said during the protest.
Pointing at the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities in contrast with almost stagnant wages, the agitating workers demanded a hike in their pay proportionate to the inflation. "What we are getting is nothing in the face of rising prices. We are finding it very difficult to manage hour households. The government should understand the situation and raise our pay and allowances. It should also ensure that labour laws such as Minimum Wages Act are properly implemented. It should announce other monetary benefits such as one-time-payment of Rs. 50,000 for those who retire from service," an anganwadi worker said.
The protesters burnt effigies of State and Union governments to register their disagreement to the governments' move. They warned that they would close anganwadis on September 2 and go on an indefinite strike if the government did not withdraw its decision. A memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister, was submitted to the office of Tahshildar.
Their demands included stopping the process of privatisation of anganwadis in different names, regularising workers as Group C employees and helpers as Group D employees, besides increasing wages to Rs. 20,000 a month for anganwadi workers and Rs. 17,000 a month for helpers, extending all social security measures such as provident fund, gratuity and medical insurances, providing leave-with-pay facility, including the children of 3-6 year age-group in Right to Education Act and making anganwadis nodal agencies, making Transfer Certificate from anganwadis mandatory for taking admission for first standard, and considering anganwadi workers on priority for the posts of teachers, medical helpers and gram sevaks.
