K'taka polls: Priyanka Gandhi seeks to reach out to Anganwadi & ASHA workers with promise of enhanced pay

Vadra also promised to give Rs three lakh to the workers of main Anganwadis on their retirement or to their nominee in the event of death due to accident

All India Congress Committee general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has declared that the party, if voted to power, will increase the honorarium of anganwadi workers to Rs 15,000 per month.

Seeking votes for Congress candidate Anjali Nimbalkar at a campaign meeting in Khanapur, Priyanka said that anganwadi workers do not get pension and therefore, they would be paid a lumpsum of Rs 3 lakh on retirement or on their death.

She said that during Covid pandemic Asha workers provided service without caring for their lives. “The Congress will take steps to increase their honorarium to Rs 8,000 per month. We will also hike the honorarium of midday meal cooks to Rs 5,000 per month,” she said.

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Launching tirade against the BJP government in the state, Priyanka alleged that as many as 2.50 lakh vacancies in the state have not been filled.

“There is large-scale corruption in appointment of PSIs. The government has indulged in looting public money and it has not spared even the eggs meant for anganwadi children,” she said.

In her address at an election rally in Jamkhandi, Priyanka referred to Modi’s statement that Congress and its leaders had hurled different types of abuses at him 91 times.

“At least they (91 abuses) are fitting on one page; if you look at the abuses by them to my family and if we start making a list, we will publish books after books about it,” she said.

(With PTI inputs)