Gadchiroli April 19 (District Correspondent) Anganwadi Cooks serving with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Amrit Aahar Yojna in the district staged demonstrations in front of the Zilla Parishad here on Thursday to press the demand to hike their honorarium to Rs. 20,000 per month.
A large number of women cooks assembled in front of the zilla Parishad under the leadership of Mr. Krishna Chaudhari, President of the Anganwadi cooks Union, despite scorching heat and shouted slogans in support of their demand. The women then met the CEO of Zilla Parishad, Resident Dy. Collector and Dy. CEO of Women and child Welfare Department and submitted them memorandums addressed to the chief minister of Maharashtra.
The scheme, operational since 2016 has employed local women as cooks in Anganwadi centres to prepare and serve nutritious meals to children and expectant mothers. These cooks are being given an honorarium of just Rs. 1,000 per month that is just Rs. 33 per day, which is not at all sufficient to fulfil their basic needs and feed the families, said the memorandum.
These women not only cook the food but also handle the other necessary tasks such as cleanliness of the Anganwadi centres, record-keeping, and child care, making their workload significantly more. However, what they are being paid in return is a mockery with them, the memorandum pointed out.
The women demanded that their honorarium be hiked to at least Rs. 20,000 per month. Those participated in the agitation were Ms. Vandana Bhaisare, Deepali Bawanthade, Usha dhurwe, Prizam Kumoti, Seema Gota, Shakuntala Gawde, Vaishali Narote, Sanjeevani Sayam and many other women cooks.
