Anganwadi workers affiliated to the Karnataka Rajya Samyukta Anganwadi Naukarara Sangha will join the nationwide strike called by trade unions on September 2.
AIUTUC State secretary T.C Rama and State vice-president D. Umadevi told presspersons on Sunday that the National Democratic Alliance government had reduced the budget allocation for the Integrated Child development Scheme (ICDS) programme from Rs. 18,588 crore to Rs.10, 382 crore for 2015-16.
Ms. Rama demanded that the government regularise the services of anganwadi workers and enhance their minimum wages to Rs. 15,000 and that of anganwadi assistants to Rs. 10,000. Opposing the governments’ move to privatise the ICDS, Ms. Rama said that the scheme was the largest project to ensure supply of nutritious food to children and pregnant women.
The Union government’s move to restructure the scheme would weaken it and make its service defunct.
