Karnataka govt announces hike in salaries for anganwadi workers

Labour

The salary hike will be applicable from October 1.

TNM Staff

Over one lakh anganwadi workers and their assistants in the state will now get a salary hike. The Karnataka government on Friday announced that the honorarium for the anganwadi workers would be hiked by Rs 2,000, while the assistant workers and anganwadi assistants would get Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 respectively, TOI reported. The salary hike will be applicable from October 1 itself, Women and Child Welfare Minister Sasikala Jolle told the media on Friday, The New Indian Express reported. The minister also stated that the state government would begin distributing the outstanding payments starting November and that the cabinet has approved Rs Rs 98.30 crore, which has also been released, the TOI report adds. After the salary hike, the anganwadi workers will now get Rs 10,000 per month as salary, an assistant worker would get Rs 5,500 and an anganwadi assistant would get Rs 5,000 per month. Minister Sasikala also stated that the central government would bear 755 of the financial cost for the honorarium hike and rest would be borne by the state. In October 2018, the Centre had announced the honorarium hike in Karnataka. However, funds for the same were not released by the centre, the TOI report adds. In March 2017, thousands of anganwadi workers had gathered outside Freedom Park demanding an increase in pay. The workers had demanded that the meagre salaries are insufficient to sustain their livelihoods. The women had also slept on the streets on the night of March 21, the day when the budget session of the Karnataka Assembly began. In 2016, the Central government had announced that anganwadi workers must be paid Rs 14,000 and the funds for it were to be given by the Centre. The Centre had sanctioned only half of it till now. Speaking to TNM, Varalakshmi, President of the Anganwadi Workers’ Association says that the women are happy about the announcement.  However, the repeated promises made since 2016 and the lack of implementation has made workers wary. “Let them pay the outstanding salaries first and also let the money be given to us. Then we will believe them. Besides, we have been fighting for a hike in salaries for the assistants. How can they survive on Rs 5,000 per month?” she said.     

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