Anganwadi women vow to keep up strike

Thousands of Anganwadi women workers, or care givers in government child health centres, from across Maharashtra protested at Azad Maidan where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addressed them and said his party supported their demand for a hike in wages.

He criticised the BJP-led government, of which the Sena is a partner, for not heeding to the concerns of these workers who assumed the place of mothers at the innumerable health care centres under the government’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.

This scheme, mainly in rural India, provides food, preschool education and primary health care to children under six years of age and their mothers. It also provides for the nutritional needs of pregnant women and adolescent girls.

More than 206,000 workers in Maharashtra’s 97,000 anganwadis, catering to 5.34 million children under six have been on an indefinite strike from September 11 to demand a higher honorarium as well as an increase in funds allocated for this sector.

Not happy with offer

A few days back, the Maharashtra government decided to hike their salaries from Rs5,000 (Dh280) to Rs6,500 per month but the Anganwadi workers are not happy with the offer.

According to Shubha Shamim, convener of statewide action committee of Anganwadi workers or ‘sevikas,’ “Senior sevikas should get more salary as per the years of service, which should be a minimum of Rs7,000 and go up to Rs13,000.”

Another member of the committee, M.A. Patil said, “This strike will go one until the demands are met. The government gave a 30 per cent hike but the workers and helpers want it to be doubled. The governments at the centre and state havealso reduced funds for public health and nutrition.”