Assam Midday Meal cooks not paid for 9 months

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Midday meal cooks across the State have not received their remuneration for the last nine months.

General secretary of the State unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Tapan Sarma has said in this connection that there are 2.71 lakh scheme-inducted workers in the State. Out of these, 1.17 lakh workers are midday meal cooks, 1.21 lakh are Anganwadi workers and helpers, and 33,000 are ASHA workers.

Sarma said that all these workers have been facing a variety of problems, but the Government has given any importance to resolving the issues.

Referring to the 1.17 lakh midday meal cooks, he said that they are supposed to get a monthly remuneration of Rs 1,500, out of which the Centre provides Rs 1,000 and the State Government provides Rs 500. However, Sarma said, the midday meal cooks have not be given even this modest remuneration.

Similarly, the State Government had "made a big announcement" in April this year regarding provision of retirement benefits to the 1.21 lakh Anganwadi workers and helpers. Sarma said that as per the announcement, the Angandwadi worker would get retirement benefit of Rs 4 lakh each, 'mini workers' would get retirement benefit of Rs 3 lakh and the helpers would get a retirement benefit of Rs 2 lakh. Sarma said that no action has been taken by the State Government to implement this announcement.

Regarding the 33,000 ASHA workers under the National Health Mission (NHM), the CITU office-bearer said that even their duty hours have not been fixed so far. Moreover, their services have not been regularized despite repeated demands. Sarma said that no rest room is provided to the ASHA workers in various hospitals and health centres of the State, which is condemnable.

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