Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government was working to raise the remunerations of Anganwadi and ASHA workers in the state, senior official Kartik Pandian said Tuesday.
Pandian, the chairman of ‘5T’ — technology-led transformative initiatives, said the government wants to ameliorate the condition of people working at the grass-roots level.
Addressing a function at Raighar in Nabarangpur district, he said the government will increase the remunerations keeping in view the contributions of Anganwadi and ASHA workers.
The cooks working in Anganwadi centres will also get more incentives, he said.
Pandian said the pay hike of community centre employees, master book-keepers (MBKs) under the livelihood mission, and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) were also under consideration by the government.
Similarly, the monthly payout for elderly persons under the Madhubabu Pension scheme will also be increased, he said.
The announcements came hours after BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi launched a scathing attack on the BJD government in the state, alleging that its “tall claims” on empowerment of women were false and misleading.
At a meeting at Balipatana ground on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Sarangi alleged that the state government has “utterly failed” to provide work to members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Merely forming SHGs will not benefit women who need to be provided with work, she said.
She alleged that women were “being tortured, harassed and exploited” in the state.
“The Centre is committed to ensure social security for women, and strengthen their financial conditions,” she added.
PTI
