Rs 126 crore given to pay increased honourarium: CM
Mumbai, Mar 22: Following strike by 99,349 anganwadi sevikas in the state, some child death due to malnutrition were reported during that period. The State Government has suspended the Maharashtra Emergency Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) invoked for the Anganwadi Sevikas as per the High Court direction in 2017.
This information was given by the Chief Minister in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday through a statement on the issue. Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil gave the similar statement in the Vidhan Parishad today.
The Chief Minister said that the Anganwadi Sevikas went on strike from September 11 to October 8, 2017. Dr Gunaratna Sadavarte filed a PIL in the High Court bringing to the notice the death of children during this period due to malnutrition. As per the High Court MESMA was invoked for the Anganwadi Sevikas.
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is sponsored by the Central Government for fulfilling the health and development needs of children in 0 to6 year age group, lactating and expectant mothers’ health, supplementary nutrition supply, vaccination, elimination of malnutrition etc. are delivered by the Anganwadi Sevikas. The continuity of these services gets broken due to strike and the maximum effect of this is visible in the tribal areas. The impact on children and lactating mothers is ever lasting.
The services that are engaged in supply of essential commodities and services are included in essential services and therefore, Anganwadi Sevikas were told against going on strike by a government order.
The Chief Minister said that Anganwadi Sevikas, Helpers and Mini Anganwadi Seviaks are given rise in honourarium as per seniority besides sufficient hike in ‘Bhaubeej Bhet’ amount from October 1, 2017. Rs 126 crore have been sanctioned for paying this amount to them in March 2018, he added.
But it has been observed that the Maharashtra State Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghtana has been indulging in strike and disturbing the services of the centres time and again. It was necessary to stop them from this strike in the public interest. Therefore, an order to this effect was issued in March 15, 2018 under MESMA. Now this order is suspended, the Chief Minister said.
