Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/SP)
Udupi, Jan 2: "Due to adverse policies undertaken by the government during the lockdown period, Anganwadi workers have faced a lot of problems. Midday meal workers have not received their salaries from September. The government gets various other works like surveys and project implementation done through the Anganwadi workers, but it does not pay salaries on time. The minister for women and child development does only those works where they have benefit," said vice president of Anganwadi, Midday Meal Workers State Committee, Rajalaxmi.
Addressing a press meet held at the Press Club here on Saturday January 2, she said the government has not upgraded Anganwadi by providing infrastructure. It also failed to grant special allowance to frontline workers. She added that the government, which says that it does not have money to pay gratuity at the time of retirement of Anganwadi workers, has distributed 65,000 mobile phones. She questioned the propriety of this decision.
She said that the children between three and six years of age have to learn in pre-primary schools. If they are brought under the educational policy, thousands of Anganwadi centres might have to be closed, she feared, and added that ICDS scheme is not good.
Rajalaxmi pointed out that the government which says that the children should be given eggs to improve their nutrition, has not released money for buying eggs since the last seven months. She said that henceforth the workers will not buy egg from their own money. She stated that the new education policy will have adverse impact on midday meal schemes. She said that because of the plan to centralise schools located in a radius of between five to ten kilometres, midday meal workers will lose their jobs.
She said that 1,25,000 Anganwadi workers and 1,19,000 midday meal workers are working in the state out of which 2,384 are located in Udupi district. "Out of our Covid warriors, 113 were infected and 27 died. Only one among them has got compensation and 35 died due to work pressure," she claimed.
Anganwadi district secretary Susheela Nada and others were present.