NAHAN JULY 10:
Around two hundred Anganwari workers took out a rally in support of their long pending demands here today and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh through Deputy Commissioner Sirmour.
Under the leadership of Saroj Sharma, State President of ‘Anganwari workers and Helpers Union’, Anganwari workers assembled at Katcha Tank and took out a rally up to the office of Deputy Commissioner Sirmour. Workers shouted slogans against state and Union governments and demanded to raise their salaries by declaring them ‘government employees’. In their memorandum they have demanded all the facilities, pay and allowances at par with the government employees.
It has been mentioned in the memorandum that in the Uttrakhand, Anganwari workers were getting rupees 2900 and Helpers 1500 per month while in Himachal Pradesh workers were getting 1300 and Helpers rupees 650 only per month. They alleged that government had given them responsibility of many National Health and welfare programmes and they were performing like regular employee.
Working as district correspondent with The Tribune & Danik Tribune in Sirmour.
It is pity that the Anganwari Workers are getting less payment for the job they do, but the question is, are they doing their job sincerely and are people with them. If the Anganwari Workers would have done their job properly, the malnutrition level amongst the young kids have definitely came down. The NFHS-3 data shows that the malnutrition level amongst the young children has increased, immunization coverage has gone down and Child Mortality has increased. Anemic condition amongst the pregnant women has also not shown any improvements.
Why the work of anganwaris is not getting reflected in improving the data- is the question everyone should ask before sympathizings with their demands.
Dear reader thanks for comments, you can not held responsible Anganwaries or any other single agency for mal neutrition in women and children, we will have to look into the whole system that run our society and country. There are social, economic and administrative factors responsible for such things and also we can analize the faliure of government policies to address the problem and implementation tools. National problems like this should be seen in larger and broad prospect to find correct solution.
— S.R. Pundir, 14.7.07