Anganwadi workers to protest outside HP assembly on Thursday

Shimla, Mar 25 (UNI) Hundreds of anganwadi workers will hold a demonstration outside Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday to press for a hike in their wages following the government's failure to accede to their demands, Anganwadi Workers Union (AWU) state secretary Saroj Sharma said today.

''The wage of a worker should be increased to Rs 4,000 and that of a helper to Rs 2,000 as against an increase of Rs 500 and Rs 250 announced by the Centre recently,'' she said in a release here.

Ms Sharma said until anganwadi workers were regularised their wages should be increased in view of the hike in the prices of essential commodities during the last few days.

Despite anganwadi workers were playing an important role in taking the government's policies and programmes to every corner of the state, the government has continued to ignore their genuine demands, she said.

She said the AWU, affiliated with the state CITU, demands announcing anganwadi workers as government employees, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme, filling all vacant posts within 15 days, additional pay for additional work and Rs two lakh gratuity to an anganwadi worker on retirement and Rs one lakh to a helper.

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