People's Democracy

PUNJAB

Anganwadi Employees Union Elects State Committee

AT the call of Anganwadi Employees Union, thousands of anganwadi workers and helpers from all parts of the state assembled in Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall, Jalandhar to participate in the state level organisational convention which was presided over by Srimati Surinder Kaur, Dharamjit Kaur, Sarbjit Kaur, Surinder Kaur  Munder and Santosh Kaur. The workers and helpers from all corners of Punjab reached Jalandhar in buses and other vehicles.

The convention was addressed by Smt Surinder Kaur, Dharamjit Kaur, Sarbjit Kaur and Professor Balwant Singh, president  Punjab state CITU besides many others.

The speakers condemned the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the central and Punjab state governments and demanded that Anganwadi workers should be treated as government employees and the minimum wage formula approved by the government should be made applicable to them.  The honorarium paid by Punjab government at the rate Rs 200 and Rs 100 should be increased to Rs 400 and Rs 200. Promotion  should be made from helper to worker and from worker to supervisor on the basis of seniority and merit and increment should be granted on continual basis rather than after five years. As per High Court decision, the workers deserving on the basis of merit should be promoted as supervisors.

The speakers demanded that the frauds that have taken place in the department should be probed into and the culprits should be brought to book.  They demanded further that the request transfers should be effected against vacant posts, the arrears of increased honorarium should be released immediately and remuneration should be paid for the entire work taken from the workers.  Prof Balwant Singh, national vice-president of CITU, while inaugurating the convention, condemned the government’s policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation which are anti people and anti-national. He appealed to the participants in the Convention to join the nation-wide one day strike on May 21, call for which has been given by NPMO. He condemned the Punjab government for increasing rates of drinking water, sewerage charge, and college fees. He demanded that these anti-people measures should be withdrawn. He said that CITU has always been helpful in organising the anganwadi workers and will integrate the movement of Punjab anganwadi workers with the All India workers movement. The convention unanimously resolved to participate in May 21 strike.

The convention unanimously elected 31 member executive committee with Surinder Kaur, chairman, Dharamjit Kaur, president and Saralajit Kaur as general secretary.

The convention resolved to fight against communalism. It also expressed its profound grief over the rail tragedy that occurred near Ladowal.