Anganwadi workers’ strike over low salary enters 56th day

Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union members continued their strike over low pay outside the chief minister’s residence for the 56th day on Tuesday.

They have alleged that though the lieutenant governor of Delhi had approved the government’s proposal to almost double their pay, the notification has not been uploaded on the e-gazette. The alleged lack of “communication” has piqued their suspicions.

“The L-G okayed the pay hike on August 17, and it still has not been uploaded on the e-gazette. Order from August 18 has been uploaded, so why not this one? They have not communicated the orders to the worker and helpers,” said Shivani Kaul, the president of the union, who said that they would continue their agitation until they received copies of the order, or the government uploads it on their website.

Atishi Marlena, the advisor to education Manish Sisodia, however, said that the hike was finalised and the workers and helpers need not worry. “The notification is a publicly available document. There is no doubt about the fact that the honorarium for Anganwadi workers (and helpers) has been hiked,” she said.

Sisodia also reassured that the workers would get hiked salary.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced on July 22 that they were hiking the ‘honorariums’ for anganwadi workers and helpers. According to the Delhi cabinet decision, the workers would now get paid ₹9,678 per month as opposed to ₹5,000 earlier, and helpers would be paid ₹4,839 as against the ₹2,500 paid earlier. HTC