Women Anganwadi workers hold protest in Srinagar for pay hike

Demanding an increase in wages and regularisation of their services, a group of Anganwadi workers and helpers today held a protest march and blocked road traffic in the heart of the city here, prompting police to use force to disperse them.
Assembled under the banner of 'Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association', dozens of women staged a peaceful sit-in at Press Enclave here to highlight their demands which also included enhancement of monthly wages and pension benefits.
Maymoona Nazki, President of the Association said,"The Anganwadi workers are paid a meager honorarium of Rs 3,000 from Central government and Rs 600 from the state, while the helpers are being given Rs 1,500 by Centre and Rs 340 by state."

She demanded enhancement of monthly wages to Rs 10,000 for workers and Rs 5,000 to helpers.
However, as they started marching towards Lal Chowk and blocked the traffic on Residency Road, police swung into action and used batons to disperse them, officials said adding no one was injured in the police action.
Nazki threatened to lock the Anganwadi centres and sit on hunger strike if their demands were not met.

"We will lock all the Anganwadi centres and will go for hunger strike if the government fails to address our demands," she said.
Nazki said they want the government to look into their demands sympathetically and on humanitarian grounds.

"We are rendering various services to the society and are even engaged in surveys and verficiation jobs as well," she said and demanded enhancement of their monthly wages.
Nazki also claimed that they have not got any wages for the past several months and demanded immediate release of their salaries.