Jamshedpur, June 4 : In support of their six-point charter of demands, Anganwadi continued to staged dharna at Agrico. The protesters warned that they would further intensify their stir unless their demands are met at the earliest.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements in view of the protest. The protesters complained that they had taken out several protest rallies to in the past but nothing had been done to address their issues. �Anganwadi workers must be given minimum salary and dearness allowances. This aside, it must be ensured that the next of kin of the workers who die in harness are given Rs five lakh,� said one of the protesters.
There are nearly 1622 anganwadi centers in the district which provide dietary supplements to children up to the age of six, pregnant women and lactating mothers from economically backward conditions and function under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). Incidentally, anganbarisevikas get a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,700.
Anuradha Sharma East Singhbhum district president of the AnganwadiKarmachariSangh led the agitation.
They sought a uniform employment policy for anganwadi workers across the country, with specified terms and defined working conditions. Their other major demands include increasing fund allocation to child nutrition plan in the 12th Plan from Rs. 1.23 lakh crore to Rs. 3 lakh crore and strengthening the Integrated Child Development Scheme at the national-level.