Aanganwadi workers protest for higher wages

Srinagar, Jan 17: Aanganwadi Workers and Helpers Association accused the Government, on Wednesday, for paying them minimal amount from the state as compared to the central government.
Hundreds of Aanganwadi Workers and Helpers assembled at Pratap Park, on the call of Central Union and started raising slogans against the state government and then marched towards Press Enclave, alleging that the workers get remuneration of Rs 600 to Aanganwadi Workers and Rs 300 to Aanganwadi Helpers from State Government on monthly basis .
District President of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Maimona Nazki, said that they are getting peanuts for the tiring work they do. “In 2016 Minister of Social Welfare announced increase of Rs 500 in our wages but regretfully it was never implemented,” she alleged.
The protesters alleged that the state government is trying to stop the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) and many other schemes.
A senior Aanganwadi worker said, “If these schemes are shelved for us, then we all will come on roads. the government will be responsible for it.”
Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) is a programme which provides food, preschool, education, and primary healthcare to children under six years of age and their mothers. The scheme was however launched in 1975, but Moraji Desai Government discontinued it in 1978, but however from tenth five year plan the Central Government started focusing more on its objective and re-launched it.