Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 09, 2009:
Demanding payment of the pending six months' honorarium of the Anganwadi workers and helpers and timely supply of the supplementary nutrition for the children among other demands, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers' Union, Manipur today staged a Wakat Meepham here at Keishampat Junction.
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the protest demonstration, general secretary of the Union N Binodini Devi observed that Anganwadi workers and helpers have preparing the Pre-school children for formal education apart from looking after the to ensure the nutritional needs of the pregnant mothers and necessary health care measures to be taken up during pre and post natal period.
But it is unfortunate that these Anganwadi workers and helpers are being denied their honorarium for the last 6 months.
Other demands that the Union have raised include setting up of a separate Directorate for the ICDS and timely contribution of the State share, regularisation of the Anganwadi workers and helpers respectively to the level of Grade III and IV employees or ensuring the salary scale and other benefits of these grades until regularisation, construction of the remaining buildings of the Anganwadi centres and controlling the quality of the work, giving preference to qualified workers and helpers at the time of filling up the posts of Primary School teachers and ANMs, extension of pension benefit of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively to retired workers and helpers and giving preference to experienced workers at the time of appointing supervisors of ICDS.