Srinagar, Jun 04 (KNO): General Secretary, All India Federation of Anaganwadi Workers/Helpers (AIFAWH) A R Sindhu on Friday sent a letter to Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan, urging him to release pending wages and salaries of Anganwadi workers and helpers.
“Anganwadi workers and helpers are the grass root level functionaries imparting supplementary nutrition, health and referral services to the pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under six years and pre-school education to the children under 6 years. The contribution made by these nearly 27 lakh women workers throughout the country in reducing malnutrition, child and maternal mortality rates, thus determining the quality of India’s biggest wealth, its human resource, is well recognized,” a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads.
It said that in Jammu and Kashmir where acute malnutrition, stunting, wasting and anemia is prevalent among the children, their services reaching out to the remotest places are most crucial. “They are paid far below the minimum wages. In spite of this, they are also performing additional duties of various departments like health, panchayti raj etc. They along with the ASHA workers are playing a very crucial role in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic in the country.”
In a letter addressed to the Advisor to Lt Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan, General Secretary AIFAWH A R Sindhu highlighted the issues confronting Anganwadi workers, helpers and ASHA workers and urged him to fulfill their genuine demands without any further delay.
The letter reads that it is unfortunate and most inhuman that these grassroots level women functionaries are not paid their meager wages regularly. From January 2021, the wages of Anganwadi workers and helpers are not paid in Jammu and Kashmir! At a time when the country is phasing the pandemic, lockdown and huge job and income losses, it has become a life threatening issue for the families of nearly 50 thousand women. You may also note that most of these women are from socially backward sections and many are the lone breadwinners of their families.
The wages for the months of February and March 2019 of the anganwadi workers and helpers in South Kashmir districts – Anantanag, Kulgam and Shopian are yet to be paid. In North and Central districts– Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Srinagar and Badagam, wages for three months – January, February and March 2019 are not yet paid.
It is not for the first time that the anganwadi workers and helpers are facing such a crisis. It is a continuous affair that the wages are not paid for months together and the wages for a period in between are withheld.
We request you as the head of administration of Jammu and Kashmir to urgently intervene and take measures to release their wages. We also urge you to ensure that their wages are paid every month.
It is unfortunate that your announcement for additional incentives for the frontline workers fighting the pandemic do not include the grass root level workers – the anganwadi workers and ASHA workers. As you know they are going door to door directly contacting the potential cases and also Covid patients, taking their temperature and oxygen levels, risking their lives in a similar manner like the doctors and nurses.
We hope that you will personally intervene in this very serious issue and ensure release of the wages from January 2021 onwards and ensure regular monthly payment besides releasing the pending wages of January- March 2019 in different districts. These poor workers be provided risk allowance and included in the announced scheme on incentives for the frontline workers—(KNO)