Govt doubles salary of Anganwadi workers

AAP acknowledges pay was ‘very less’

NEW DELHI, 17/07/2017: Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union staging a protest in support of striking workers sitting on hunger strike at Delhi Chief Minister's residence in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

The honorarium paid to about 22,000 workers and helpers at Delhi government-run day-care centres under the Anganwadi scheme will be doubled soon.

Announcing the decision taken by the Cabinet on Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that Anganwadi workers and helpers would get ₹9,678 and ₹4,839 per month, respectively.

He added that the workers and helpers would get an additional ₹500 and ₹250 per month, respectively, for mobile/internet charges.

Other problems

Speaking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said Anganwadi workers would get a total of ₹10,178 a month, up from ₹5,000 that they get currently, and the helpers would get ₹5,089, up from ₹2,500.

Referring to the government’s ongoing drive of inspections, Mr. Sisodia said when he and senior officials assessed the working of the Anganwadi centres, they found several problems in the functioning, including fake registers of children and poor quality of food.

“But, another thing that we were informed about was the low honorarium paid to the staff. We expect each worker to teach and care for 20 to 25 children. Their pay was indeed very less,” said Mr. Sisodia.

He added that the government hoped that the increased honorariums would encourage the staff to work more efficiently.

Earlier this month, many of the workers had protested outside Mr. Kejriwal’s residence demanding a pay hike.

At present, Anganwadi workers cater to a total of six lakh children in the city.