BHUBANESWAR: Anganwadi workers engaged in Covid duty in the State on Thursday demanded incentive and insurance cover for them.
The workers under the banner of All Odisha Anganwadi Ladies Workers Association said though the State government has decided to provide Rs 1,000 bonus and additional Rs 10,000 towards cycle, shoes and umbrella to each ASHA workers engaged in Covid duty, no such announcement has been made for anganwadi workers, who are also engaged as frontline workers.
“During the first wave of the pandemic, the government had recognised anganwadi workers as Covid warriors and had announced Rs 50 lakh insurance coverage and Rs 7,500 monthly pension to the deceased anganwadi workers’ families. However, it still remains a mere promise and the benefit is yet to be passed on to the workers and their families,” said association leader Jyoshnarani Singh.
Singh said it is the anganwadi workers who are directly exposed to the virus as they are conducting the health screening drives of Covid patients and suspects. Depriving them of the benefits extended to other frontline workers is a huge injustice, she said.