Uzma Manzoor

Srinagar

The Anganwadi workers of Kashmir are demanding an immediate pay release and also an increment in their salaries. They allege that their counterparts in other states get ten times more salary.

These very low paid women workers are all fire against the state government for its alleged apathy towards them.
Majority of the Anganwadi workers is married and they work on a nominal kind of salary which effect their work.

While talking to Kashmir Life a worker from Islamabad, Urfi Jan said, “For last four to five months we haven’t got our salaries and this is not a new thing to us as we have been going through the same kind of situation many a times.”

Aganwadi workers demand an immediate increase in their salaries. According to them, they presently get Rs 3600 as salary in which Rs 3000 is the Central share and rest Rs 600 is the state share. Miffed Anganwadi workers are pressing for an increase in their state share so that they will overall get a ‘sound’ salary. One of the Anganwadi workers said that Anganwadi workers from other states are getting Rs 12000- 35000 for the same work.

Zahida Akhtar, an Anganwadi worker from Islamabad said in a high pitch, “I have seen a booklet in which I saw that the Anganwadi workers of Pondicherry are getting Rs 19000 for the same work for which I get mere Rs 3600.” She added that their pay is released once or twice a year and it was in September 2012 they get their last salary.

Anganwadi helpers have the same story to tell. “The helpers get only Rs 1800 which is too little, when we compare the same with the salary of Anganwadi helpers of other states,” said an old lady who works as an Anganwadi helper.

Anganwadi workers and helpers always appear in the press colony and do some sloganeering for some time. “We are practicing the same since long but nobody listens to us, we fail to understand how to grab the attention of the government,” an Anganwadi worker from Srinagar said.

1 COMMENT

  1. The awws and awhs have all the right to get substantial salaries considering their pressure and nature of work.I totally agree with the demands made by them .

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here