Date:14/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/14/stories/2008101460570600.htm

Karnataka

Absorb us in government service, demand anganwadi workers

Special Correspondent

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Seeking justice: Anganwadi workers staging a dharna near Basaveshwara Circle in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: A large number of anganwadi workers under the banner of the Karnataka State Anganwadi Employees’ Association, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, on Monday demanded that the Government treat them as its employees and provide all facilities that the State staff were getting.

They were participating in the second conference of the Bangalore district unit, here. Inaugurating the conference, All-India Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane vice-president K.S. Vimala said that anganwadi workers would not be content with the designation of “gourava karyakarteyaru” (honorary workers) with a meagre honorarium of Rs.1,200 a month.

Terming it a fraud played on the poor women working for over 30 years, Ms. Vimala said if the Government really respected the anganwadi workers, then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa should decide on making them government servants.

‘Honour promise’

He should implement the assurance given to women when he was holding the Finance portfolio in the H.D. Kumaraswamy Ministry. Coming down on the government for using anganwadi workers for all kinds of jobs, she said they were being deprived of all welfare measures on the ground that they did not possess BPL cards, as their annual income crossed Rs. 12,000.

Ms. Vimala pointed out that the Stree Shakti Groups were also not given financial support, as promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party Government.

“Anganwadi workers should realise the intention of political parties who got their votes by making tall promises during the elections and forget about them later,” she said.

K.N. Varalakshmi, general secretary of the association, and K.N. Umesh, general secretary of the CPI (M) Bangalore District Committee, were present. Minister for Medical Education Ramachandra Gowda, who met the anganwadi workers who were staging a dharna near Basaveshwara Circle, said the Government would not do injustice to them.