450 Anganwadi workers to be promoted as supervisors: Harish

Says 450 Anganwadi workers will be promoted as supervisors

Karimnagar: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday said 450 Anganwadi workers would be promoted as supervisors and Aasara pension and double bedroom houses would also be sanctioned to all eligible Anganwadi workers.

Harish Rao along with BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar participated in a thanksgiving programme organised by TNGOs in Huzurabad on Sunday for enhancing the salaries of Anganwadi workers.

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Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said though Anganwadi workers had staged dharnas and protest demonstrations demanding hikes in salaries in the past, successive governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh had not bothered about them. “Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, however, increased the salaries of Anganwadi workers three times in the past seven years. For the first time in history, salaries of contract workers and other lower grade workers were hiked on par with government employees,” the Minister pointed out.

Stating that Anganwadi workers were paid only Rs 7,800 in BJP-ruled Gujarat, he said the Telangana government was paying Rs 13,650 to them. “Also, false propaganda is being spread that the Union government was paying salaries of Anganwadi workers. Only Rs 2,700 is being provided by the Union government and the remaining Rs 10,950 is paid by the State government,” he informed and said the salaries are deposited in the bank accounts in the first week of every month.

Though the Chief Minister had sanctioned 4,000 double bedroom houses to Huzurabad constituency, not a single house was completed. “Isn’t former MLA and BJP leader Eatala Rajender responsible for this?” He questioned.

Harish appealed to the people to support a person who will work for the welfare of the people. He urged the public to support the Telangana government and Chandrashekhar Rao. “People know about the person who ridiculed Aasara pensions, Rythu Bandhu, Kalyanalaxmi and other schemes. Rajender termed all these schemes as peanuts,” he said.

Kamalakar said Anganwadi workers played a vital role in Telangana agitation. He said they were doing social service. Recognising their services, the Chief Minister enhanced their salary to Rs 13,650.

TNGOs former president Devi Prasad, district president Jagadish Reddy, former minister E Peddireddy, Padi Koushik Reddy and others participated in the programme.