DAVANGERE: Anganwadi workers and helpers have decided to launch an agitation from September 8 demanding that the Union and State Government fulfil their "long-pending legitimate" demands. A month-long agitation will be held in different areas.

Speaking to presspersons here on Thursday, H.K. Ramachandrappa, Communist party leader; and Vishalakshi, vice-president of the State Anganawadi Workers' and Helpers' Federation; said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was going to present his third Budget soon and he had neglected anganwadi workers who constituted one of the largest work forces after the Railways. There are over 18 lakh anganwadi workers in the country, Mr. Ramachandrappa said and added that the Government had failed to fix minimum wages to them.

The federation demanded minimum wages of Rs. 4,000 a month and Rs. 200 increment every year. Apart from this pension benefit and health care facility under the ESI (Employment State Insurance) scheme had to be given to anganawadi workers, he said.

The State Government had been giving an honorarium of Rs. 550a month to each anganwadi worker, he said. From survey work to the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the services of anganawadi workers had been availed of by the Government, he said and demanded to know how fair it was to give them a paltry sum of Rs. 550 a month which was not sufficient. He urged the Government to enhance the honorarium to Rs.1,000 a month.

There are over 1,04,000 anganwadi workers in the State working in about 51,500 angnawadi kendras. Ms. Vishalakshi demanded that the Government address the problems of widows and physically handicapped women in the next recruitment of anganwadi workers in the State.

The workers have decided to stage a dharna in front of the Parliament on November 13 to draw the attention of the Government to their demands.

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