Bhubaneswar: Angwanwadi Workers Organise Creative Protests to Demand for their Rights

The All Odisha Graduate Contractual Lady Supervisors Association, or ISDS, is holding an agitation in Bhubaneswar for more than one month for better working conditions and a hike in wages. The State government has not been responding to their demand, so the ISDS members took their agitation to a new level. The women members are celebrating Manabasa ( Worship of Paddy Bowl ) on the national highways. They are holding Lakshmi Purana and Vedpath on the road. So many people see the innovative protest on road.

As per the State government order, the Department of Women and Child Development has promoted 557 undergraduates with at least 5 years of experience to the post of deputy superintendent of aganwadi workers but not on a regular basis.

According to the government’s 1999 guidelines, 10-year-old matriculation pass yard staff and 5-year-old graduate yard staff should be promoted. However, the government has only regularised the promotion of matriculation passers, which the union opposes. Graduates have a salary of Rs 16,000 and matriculation students have a salary of Rs 70,000. Protests are underway to resolve the issue. They have a huge role to play in creating thousands of self-help groups in rural areas.