Anganwadi workers oppose extension of working hours

Thousands of anganwadi workers staged a protest in Freedom Park demanding that the government reschedule the timings of the workers as it had become extremely difficult for them to handle the children. 

B Nagarathna, secretary of Karnataka Rajya Anganwadi Workers’ Mahamandali, said that the government has extended the timings of anganwadi centres till 4 pm without any order and this had become a huge problem not only for the workers, but also the children who are held back.

“The remuneration paid by the government is also very less, as a worker gets Rs 6,000 per month and a helper is paid Rs 3,000 per month. This amount is not enough for us to sustain our livelihood. We are also demanding for BPL card to be issued to us and to give us Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) for our medical needs,” she added. If their demands are not fulfilled in the next two months, they are planning to protest in front of the house of Umashree, Minister for Women and Child Welfare.