The Hindu : Better deal for anganwadi workers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 09, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Better deal for anganwadi workers
By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 8. The Union Government has agreed to raise the honorarium given to anganwadi workers by Rs. 500, and the State Government will consider their demand to raise it to Rs. 2,000, the Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Motamma, said here on Friday.

At a function organised by the Department of Women and Child Welfare to commemorate International Women's Day and to present the Rani Kittur Chennamma awards to women achievers, Ms. Motamma said the HUDCO was planning to give Rs. 25 crore for reconstruction of the anganwadis in the State. Though there was awareness about equal rights for women, cases of female foeticide, dowry, and domestic violence and other atrocities on women were on the rise. Women should raise their voice and lead a campaign to safeguard their rights, she said.

The Governor, V.S.Rama Devi, inaugurated the function. The Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, who presented the awards, said education and self-dependence were the only ways to achieve women's empowerment in a male-dominated society. He said women should not be discriminated against, and both men and women should work together for nation-building.

To empower women and give them equal rights, the Government was trying to give title deeds of houses built under various schemes in their names. It had formulated many schemes for the welfare of women, including the ``Stree Shakti'' Scheme under which women self-help groups were formed.

The Rani Kittur Chennamma Award for Best Institution was given to Kasturba Sadana, an organisation working for the betterment of women. H.M.Mohini Sidde Gowda of the institution received the cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and a citation. Seven individual awards were conferred on women who had done outstanding work in different fields. C.Sharada, who died of a heart attack on Thursday, and Guruvva got the award in the women's development category. Jabeena was given the award for excellence in the field of art. Bhagirathi Heggade of Sirsi got the award for outstanding work in the field of literature. The award winner, Shubada H.N., excelled in the field of education, and M.Kokila Sudha in sports. Each of them received a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 and a citation. The Chief Minister also honoured Imam Bi, anganwadi worker from Bellary, who has been conferred the Best Anganwadi Worker Award by the Union Government.

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