PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The president of the Anganwadi Workers Association (AWA), Rekha Negi has rejected the proposal of the Women Empowerment and Child Development (WECD) department to deduct Rs 300 from the monthly allowances of Anganwadi workers in the State. This proposal aimed to channel the deducted funds, which will be provided to the workers at the time of retirement. Negi said that the State government had previously suggested a system where Rs 100 would be deducted each month from every worker’s salary, with the government matching this contribution. The objective was to ensure that workers receive a collective retirement sum upon reaching the age of 60, so that they are not left empty-handed. Negi emphasised that according to this initiative, Rs 100 has been deducted every month. However, the workers remain dissatisfied, as the total accumulated amount by the time of retirement remains insufficient and the department only provides the retirement amount to them in thousands.
She further said that they had initially agreed on the deducted amount (Rs 100) due to certain considerations. However, during a recent meeting with representatives from the WECD, the officials suggested raising the deduction from Rs 100 to Rs 300, which is not acceptable as it wouldn’t increase their retirement benefits. Negi said that they have outrightly rejected this new proposal. She stressed that they would only be open to considering a Rs 300 deduction if the retirement benefit for Anganwadi workers were to reach Rs 10 lakh, a figure that is considerably higher than what they currently receive.
She added that at present, Anganwadi workers’ monthly allowance is Rs 9,300, which is inadequate. They have also been advocating for an increase in their monthly allowance for a long time. Negi informed that she has formally submitted a letter of rejection regarding the said proposal to the department, stating that the proposal (deduction amount) would only be reconsidered under two conditions: when the retirement amount reaches Rs 10 lakh and when there is an increase in the monthly allowance, she said.
Additionally, in response to recent reports that the department has drafted a proposal to raise the monthly allowance for Anganwadi workers, Negi emphasised that these claims are not true. She recently had a meeting with officials from the department, who stated that the allowance would be raised; however, no formal proposal has been issued to date.
