Manipal: Anganwadi teachers and helpers protest against harassment

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 06 November 2012: The Anganwadi workers of the undidivded Dakshina Kannada District protested in front of the District Officals on Monday, November 5, 2012 against the directives that the children should be kept in the Anganwadi from 9.30 am to 4 pm.

 

The government has unilaterally changed the time table of the Anganwadi working making it compulsory for children to remain in the Anganwadi from 9.30 am to 4 pm. The Anganwadi workers throughout the state had protested against this directives on July 31,
2012.

 

 

There was statewide protest against the change  of working time in the Anganwadis on June 31, 2012 to attract the attention of the government towards the contentious issue of the extension of the working hours in the Anganwadis. In spite of this the Anganwadi teachers and helpers say that  day by day the harassment by the Anganwadi authorities and supervisors has been increasing.These officers insist that the teachers and helpers should keep the children in the Anganwadi till 4 pm. However, they have paid no attention for providing any basic facilities in these Anganwadis.

Anganwadi Teachers’ Associations Secretary  Usha said that the authorities have not even bothered to provide nutritious food for the children in midday meal. The protesters demanded that the timings of the Anganwadi should be reverted back to 9.30 am to 1.30 pm. Besides this demand, it was pointed out that the present salary of Rs. 4,500/- to the Anganwadi teachers and Rs. 2,250/- to the helpers is quite inadequate and it should be increased to Rs. 10,000/- and 7,000/- respectively. Other demands included vacation from May 1 to 31, medical expenses, free ration and housing facilities and housing, retirement benefits and pension etc.

 

Prior to the protest rally, the Anganwadi teachers and helpers took out a morcha from Manipal Tiger Circle to the office of the District Officer. The protest rally was led by the president of the Association Leelavathi K,  Treasurer Geetha Pangala, Udupi Taluk Presdient Leela Kaup, Geetha, Saroja Kappettu, Jayanthi Shirva, Shashikala Padubidri, Sumathi and others.