Enraged over deduction of two months of remuneration by the state government, the association of Anganwadi workers of Uttarakhand has threatened to distance itself from the anti COVID-19 operations.
The remuneration of months of December and January was not paid to these workers because they were on strike during this period.
In a letter directed to the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, the president of the association Rekha Negi said that the State Government had sent the Mayor of Dehradun, Sunil Uniyal Gama as its representative to talk with the agitating workers when the agitation was going on and had assured them that there would be no deduction in the stipend of the workers.
She said that the workers were also assured that a committee would be formed to look into their demands but now the Government has deducted stipend of two months of the workers. Negi added that at the time when the senior officers of the government have isolated themselves with their families inside their houses, the administration has pushed the Angandwadi workers in the field.
She said that the Anganwadi workers belong to poorest strata of the society and are either widows, physically impaired,divorcees or are from BPL families “The state government paid no heed to the justified demands of the poor Anganwadi workers and now their stipend for agitation period is also deducted. Now the administration is showing dictatorial attitude by pushing these workers in the battle against Coronavirus without providing them protective equipment.
The Govt has announced that it would provide insurance to the doctors, sanitation workers, police and administration engaged in the battle against COVID-19 but has left poor Anganwadi workers out of this cover,’’ she said.