Delhi govt promises more pay, but anganwadi workers continue stir

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (File)

The Delhi government Saturday decided to increase the salary of anganwadi centre (AWC) employees and also give them mobile/internet allowance. The employees have been on strike since June 28. The Delhi cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the increase. AWC workers will now get a monthly salary of Rs 9,678, up from Rs 5,000. For helpers, the increase is from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,839. They will also be given Rs 500 (for workers) or Rs 250 (for helpers) as mobile/internet allowance.

AWC workers are employed under the Integrated Child and Development Scheme, responsible for providing supplementary nutrition to children below the age of six, and nursing mothers. Since July 3, they have been protesting outside Kejriwal’s residence, demanding a hike in salary and payment of dues for the last five months. Since then, over 10,000 anganwadi centres have remained closed. However, the association leading the protest called Saturday’s announcement a “mere eyewash”.

“The government has said they will increase, but has not mentioned from when we will get the new salary. In 2015, too, Kejriwal had promised the same thing, but nothing happened. How are we to believe him now?” said Shivani Kaul, president of the Delhi state anganwadi workers and helpers union. They threatened that if the government does not give the assurance in writing, they will take out a march on Monday from Ramlila Maidan to Jantar Mantar. Over the last two months, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has inspected several AWCs. In June, he had suspended a few workers over alleged anomalies in registering children at the centres.