Govt promise fails to cut ice with anganwadi workers

The Delhi State Anganwadi Workers’ and Helpers’ Union walked from Ramlila Maidan to Jantar Mantar on Monday morning. Covering a distance of 2.3km in the pouring rain, shouting slogans of “hum humaari maangte, nahi kisi se bhik maangte”, and wearing red bands, the protesters said their strike will end only when there is a government notification. The AWC centres, they said, will remain closed till then.

On Saturday, the government had announced that while the honorarium of AWC workers have been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,678 per month, that of the helpers have been increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,839. Moreover, government had said, workers will get Rs 500 and helpers will get Rs 250 as mobile and internet charges.

The women — mostly in their late 30s and 40s — Monday gathered at Jantar Mantar to put forward their allegation that the government has not met them and has conjured up a fictitious union after colluding with the supervisors and saying an agreement has been reached.

With no assurance from the government, the union is also running a boycott campaign against the AAP candidate in the Bawana bypoll. “Why is the government scared of having a dialogue? If they continue with this stubborn attitude, we will ensure that AAP loses the bypoll,” said Shivani Kaul, president of the union. The government, however, maintained that the a delegation of the union has met Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and thanked him for the increase in salaries.