BENGALURU: Thousands of anganwadis and mini anganwadis remained shut across Karnataka as protests by Anganwadi workers continued for a third day in the State. More than 8,000 Anganwadi workers and helpers from around the State have been protesting in Bengaluru, since Monday.
The Sheds in the city have become the protesters' new homes as they attend to ablutions, change of clothes, eat and sleep there, amid soaring mercury levels on Wednesday.
The workers demand Rs. 612 crore and the protesters called the State's excuses for not fulfilling their demands baseless.
The bypolls in Nanjangud and Gundlupet shouldn't affect decisions in other districts except Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, if the code of conduct is the problem said state anganwadi union president S Varalakshmi. "If the centre could present union budget with impending polls in five states why can't Karnataka do so with impending bypolls?" she asked.
While the Congress argues that the BJP is at fault as the Centre reduced the Centre-State ratio from 90:10 to 84:16, women at Freedom Park seemed unfazed by the prospect of spending the coming days without facilities for sanitation and food at the venue.
From 2007, the workers have seen an increase in salary from Rs 1,500 to Rs 7,000, but are demanding Rs 10,000. Come April anganwadi helpers will start getting Rs. 3,500 but their demand is Rs 7,500.
"Since women are considered honourary workers they are not included in the Minimum Wages Act and earn less than Class IV government employees," said Sunanda HS, general secretary of the union.
Their other demands include payment by the 5th day of every month, payment for medical leave, post retirement benefits, a code of conduct for suspension, PAN cards and cheque payment for maintenance.