A day after leading a massive agitation, the delegation of anganwadi workers on Wednesday met the principal secretary Finance (Reforms), Rajgopal Deora in his Mantralaya office, along with Vinita Ved-Singhal, secretary, Women and Child Welfare Ministry. While the delegation said that the meeting was positive, they have not yet called back the protest and strikes planned next year.
Thousands of anganwadi workers gathered in Azad Maidan on Tuesday to protest the delay by the State in regulating the Centre’s government resolution on an increase in honorarium. They had also demanded that their pensions be increased and quality of meals provided to the children be improved.
M.A. Patil, member of the Maharashtra Rajya Anganwadi Karmachari Kruti Samiti, an umbrella body of seven anganwadi unions, said, “We had a positive discussion. We have shared our demands and communicated that anganwadi workers should not be taken for granted.”
Shubha Shamim, a member of Center for Trade Unions, who was a part of the delegation, said, “We asked them to issue a notification about the Central government’s resolution from September. We also asked them to look into the pension policy, regarding which Mr. Deora suggested Ms. Singhal have a meeting with SBI officials. From our understanding, Ms. Singhal will be preparing the policy with our consultation in the next 15 to 20 days,” she said.
“This has been delayed already. We now hope that a decision is taken before the code of conduct is implemented for the Lok Sabha elections,” she said.
While the strike planned on January 8 and 9 will continue, members said that a decision will be taken on the Jail Bharo Andolan planned in February depending on the government’s move. “We are not going to sit quiet. If nothing is done about our demands, our Jail Bharo Aandolan will go on unhindered on February 11, 12 and 13,” Ms. Shamim said.
While Ms. Singhal was unavailable for a comment, Mr. Deora said, “We have not made any promises today. It was an informal discussion.”
