TS sops likely for Anganwadi workers

White ration cards, pensions, food security schemes on the anvil

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is likely to extend food security and pension schemes for Anganwadi employees who are part of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.

With this, around 70,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers in 10 districts will be eligible for white ration cards as well as widow and old aged pensions. The government is understood to have accepted a few other demands like implementation of Amrutha Hastham and Bala Badulu only through ICDS instead of Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP).
Members of Telangana Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union held discussions in this regard with senior officials of Women Development and Child Welfare department including Principal Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah and Director Amrapali Kata at Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon.

The government, however, sought time for implementation of two main demands (enhancement of honorarium of workers to Rs 15,000 and helper to Rs 12,000 besides retirement benefit of Rs 1 lakh each to workers and Rs 50,000 each to helpers at the time of superannuation). At present, an Anganwadi worker is being paid Rs 4,200 while helper's honorarium is a meagre Rs 2,200.

Earlier in the day, thousands of Anganwadi employees from 10 districts converged at Sundariah Vignana Kendram, Baghlingampally, and staged a sit-in protest demanding the government to implement their long pending demands.

MLC Prof Nageshwar, CITU State president C Ramulu and Agricultural Workers’ Union general secretary Venkat among others visited the place and expressed solidarity to their stir.