Contract workers protest in Ranchi, demand regularization and fulfillment of promised facilities

Ranchi: A group of contract workers, including Anganwadi workers, assistants, Jal Sahiyas, and Health Sahiyas, gathered in front of the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Monday, protesting against Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The protestors presented an 11-point demand list, calling for the regularization of services and the fulfillment of promised facilities. The demonstration, which included a significant number of women, brought together 35,000 water assistants, 44,000 health assistants, 80,000 Anganwadi workers and assistants, 4,000 animal husbandry workers, 5,000 small-scale workers, and 15,000 ANM-MPW workers from all 24 districts of Jharkhand.

The demands primarily focused on Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s pre-government promise to increase the honorarium from Rs 1,000 to Rs 18,000. However, the decision to enhance the honorarium was reversed, and an incentive amount was introduced, lacking a fixed structure. The protestors emphasized that as per the cabinet decision, they were supposed to receive mobile phones and uniforms, but neither the promised honorarium nor other facilities were provided.

Among the 11-point demands, the protestors insisted on the regularization of services for the 1 lakh contract employees, payment of outstanding honorarium for 45 months, and the fulfillment of the promise to provide an Rs 18,000 honorarium instead of the existing Rs 1,000, which is now designated as an incentive amount. The protestors called on the government to fulfill its commitments and address their grievances.