Bangalore: Anganwadi Workers Oppose Market-linked Pension Scheme

Bangalore, Apr 1, DHNS : Anganwadi workers and helpers on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Chief Minister’s house. 

 The bone of contention once again is their pension scheme. According to State Anganwadi Workers Union General Secretary Varalakshmi, the new pension scheme does not allow the inclusion of anganwadi workers aged over 55 years.

“As per the new scheme, workers will be paid Rs 50,000 and helpers Rs 30,000 when they retire. But we want them to be included in the pension scheme as well,” she said.
There are about 30,000 anganwadi workers and helpers who are above 55 years of age in the State.

“The State cannot assume that we will agree to the new pension scheme which parks our funds in the share market. There are 45,000 workers who have still not signed this,” she said.

They are also demanding that the government withdraw a circular which said anganwadi workers cannot go on strikes. Though Women and Child Development Minister C C Patil in a press conference tried to assuage the workers, they did not seem to be in a mood to back down and vowed to continue the agitation.

Patil urged the anganwadi workers to call off their indefinite strike and said the government was ready to discuss all issues with an open mind.

Speaking to reporters, he said due to the model code of conduct for the ongoing by-elections, he was not able to announce anything now. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has convened a meeting of representatives of anganwadi workers on April 21 to solve their problems, he said.

Patil said only 15 per cent of the money deducted for pension will be invested in the equity market. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has been entrusted with the task of monitoring the investment, he said.

Of the 1.23 lakh anganwadi workers in the State, 75,000 of them have already enrolled themselves under the new pension scheme, he said.