Jahangeer Ganaie
Anantnag, Dec 23 (KNO): Anganwadi workers and helpers who are on the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 pandemic on Wednesday staged a protest in Sports Stadium Anantnag against authorities for failing to provide them wages for over a year.
Protesting workers and helpers said that in 2018 government announced to enhance the honorarium, however, even after over two years, the promise remains unfulfilled on ground.
“From October 2018, no arrears have been released as of now and for February and March 2019, both centre state funds are yet to be released,” Fehmeeda Akhter who is heading Aganwadi helpers and workers association in South Kashmir, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
She added that from December 2019 to February 2020 no state share was given to us and since June this year we are completely without a single penny.
“Anganwadi workers and helpers are being treated with utter contempt by the government,” said another worker, adding that “despite all government schemes being implemented through Anganwadi workers and helpers but they are even being denied the meager wages.”
She said besides that “we are being denied social security, benefits including promotion, gratuity, pension, provident fund and medical facilities.” She said: “We have been protesting in Srinagar, at district headquarters and even knocking doors of concerned authorities but no attention is being provided towards our genuine demands.”
The protestors yet again requested concerned authorities to look into the matter and release our pending wages at ab earliest so that we won’t suffer any more. “Despite repeated attempts director ICDS wasn’t available for the comments,” they said—(KNO)
