Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, May 23: Flaying the suppression, exploitation and harassment of women employees by the ominous BJP-PDP Government, NPP chairman and former Education Minister Harsh Dev Singh sought release of long pending wages and enhancement of honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers associated with ICDS in J&K who have been languishing on roads for the last 111 days in the pursuit of their legitimate rights.
Addressing huge gatherings of Anganwari workers and helpers sitting on ‘dharna’ in Samba and Hiranagar today, NPP leader took the Coalition Govt to task for turning a deaf ear to their shrill cries for justice.
“The responsibilities of Anganwari workers and helpers are extremely significant as they ensure proper care for pregnant women, new born children and nursing mothers. Besides administering the immunisation of all children below the age of 6 years, they also supervise the distribution of supplementary nutrition to them. Monitoring regular health and medical check-ups for women and children is one of their key responsibilities who also play a role of a teacher to provide pre-school education to children between the age of 3 and 5 years. The women and child development is under serious threat with Anganwari workers and helpers protesting on the roads for their demands”, Harsh Dev said.
Lambasting the ‘dirty combine’ for its criminal apathy towards the Anganwari workers and helpers, Singh sought the release of their pending wages and enhancement of their honorarium besides other demands pertaining to their superannuation. He said that engaging the said workers and helpers for a paltry honorarium of 3600 per month and Rs 1600 per month, respectively was the biggest injustice besides human rights violation of grave nature.
Appealing to the Chief Minister to address the issue on priority and to devise a suitable job policy for these ICDS workers, Singh demanded the revision of salaries of Anganwari workers and helpers to a minimum of Rs 10,000 p.m and Rs 6000 pm.
Former MLA Samba Yash Pal Kundal also spoke on the occasion.
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