Anganwadi workers stage protest demanding hike in pay

Guwahati, October 1, 2018:

Anganwadi workers, who swarmed in hundreds at the Last Gate in Guwahati on Monday, staged a protest demanding that the state government redress their charter of demands.

The workers are demanding, among others, hike in their salaries. They warned that they would not rest till their demands were met with.

“The Anganwadi workers get salary of Rs.6,500 while it is Rs.3,500 for the Anganwadi helpers. Elsewhere in the country, the salary of Anganwadi workers is Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000. We demand that our salary is hiked to Rs.18,000. Similarly, the Anganwadi helpers should get Rs.15,000,” a protesting Anganwadi worker told reporters.

She added: “We also demand that the Anganwadi workers and helpers are covered under the government’s pension scheme. We will keep agitating until the demands are fulfilled”.

Another protestor lamented that they were shabbily treated by the state government even after they worked for six to seven departments.

“In other states, the Anganwadi workers get a lot of facilities from the government. In Assam, we struggle to run the family as our salary is very low,” she said.

Assam has over one lakh Anganwadi centres with over two lakh employees.