Stating that the Uttarakhand government has not paid the allowance to the Anganwadi workers across the state for months, Anganwadi workers warned of protest against the government from December.
According to the president of State Anganwadi Workers Association, Rekha Negi, the Anganwadi workers have been working relentlessly in every district during this Covid-19 pandemic but the government does not even care to pay the allowances on time. “We work at the ground level for almost every government scheme and healthcare programmes for women and children in the State but we do not even receive our allowances on time. The Anganwadi workers have not been paid allowances for many months and in some areas, the government has not even paid them a single paisa since the month of March,” stated Negi. She added, “We understand that the times are critical but the government should also understand that most of the Anganwadi workers are widowed, single mothers and abandoned women who rely on this money for their survival. When the pandemic has been difficult for almost everyone in society, how it is different for these women.” Anganwadi workers are already underpaid for their work by the government and now they are not getting paid at all during the crisis, said Negi.
According to her, the Anganwadi workers have approached several representatives of the Government about their issue in the past but since they have been ignored by all of them, they have no choice but to protest against them. “We have protested in the past for our rights but we were tricked by some representatives of the government and we called off that protest. However, if the government will not take any action about the delayed and pending allowance of thousands of Anganwadi workers across the state by November 30, they will boycott work and protest against the government in December, said Negi. She added that now the government cannot tell the workers that it is not fair to protest during the pandemic because these women are fighting for their hard-earned money and they have families to feed too.
Monday, 16 November 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
