Accusing the Government of paying mere allowances in exchange of their crucial services in the development of children and women in the State, the members of the State Anganwadi workers association said that they will pursue the six-month diploma as per new education policy of the Central Government only if they will be recognised as the employees of the Uttarakhand Government.
According to the president of the association, Rekha Negi, "We work for the welfare of the women and children across Uttarakhand under the State Women Empowerment and Child Development department but we still do not get paid like a regular employee.
We are paid a mere allowance for our services that help to build the strong foundation of the lives of thousands of children in the State." Now the government has made some changes in the education policy for the education of small children that require an Anganwadi worker to pursue a six-month diploma course but still there is nothing about increasing the payment to workers, stated Negi.
"The Government increases our work and responsibilities regularly but it never appreciates and pays us like the other employees working under the Government. If the Government wants us to put extra efforts and do the diploma while carrying out other duties, we want to be recognised and get paid as the State Government's employees," added Negi.
She also informed that she had discussed this issue on Wednesday with the public relations officer of Union Human Resource Development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.