Gadchiroli Jan. 10 (District Correspondent) Alleging that the government is in a way forcing Anganwadi cooks working under Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Amrit Ahar Yojana to work as forced labour by paying them only Rs. 1,000 per month, Mr. Gautam Meshram, District General Secretary of Independent Labour Union (ILU), has demanded that this forced labour be stopped immediately.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a gathering of cooks from North Gadchiroli district that was recently organized at Kurkheda. Republican Party leader rohidas Raut, social activist Tularam Raut and leader of the Cooks Women’s Union, Krishna Chaudhary, were prominently present.
The said cooks have been working for a meagre and very negligible remuneration of Rs. 1,000 for the last nine years and they have been serving pregnant mothers. They are doing their work regularly throughout the year and despite repeated demands, their remuneration has not been increased, which is a great injustice to these women, he lamented.
Meshram also demanded that the government immediately increase their remuneration and remove the injustice against them. He also announced that the Independent Labour Union will raise its voice on this issue.
Mr. Rohidas Raut also guided the meeting and expressed strong displeasure over the injustice being done to the women cooks. He said that the government itself is flouting its minimum wage law and is making a cruel joke with rural and poor women. He strongly demanded that the government stop this joke immediately and provide justice to women.
Mr. Tularam Raut appealed the women to strengthen the women’s organization and raise their voice against this injustice. Its a good thing that the cooks have assembled in the meeting in such a large numbers, he added.
Mr. Krishna Chaudhary of the women’s union presented the problems of Anganwadi women cooks in his introductory speech and warned that this struggle will be intensified to push forward these demands if the government does not fulfil the demands.
The meeting passed resolutions demanding that the remuneration of Anganwadi cooks should be increased to at least Rs. 20,000, that their remuneration should be paid regularly every month, that a separate muster book be maintained for these women, weekly leave should be given, they should be given the status of government employees, pension should be applied, etc.
More than two hundred women workers from five talukas of Armori, Vadsa, Kurkheda, Korchi and Dhanora were present at this meeting.
Ms. Dipali Bavanthade, Sandhya Lonbale, Vaishali Narote, Vaishali Madavi, Mamta Nakade, Gayatri Sayam Seema Gota, Shakuntala Gawde, Ashwin Gurnule, Rina Naitam, Sharda Barde, Anju Gedam and other women worked hard for this meeting.
