Tribune News Service
Chamkaur Sahib, December 30
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday announced a substantial increase in wages of Asha and mid-day meal workers. There are 22,000 Asha workers and 42,205 mid-day meal workers in the state.
Long-pending demand met
Rs2,500 Monthly allowance for 22,000 Asha workers
Rs3,000 Monthly wages of 42,205 mid-day meal workers
All of them will also be entitled to maternity leave on a par with other regular employees
Announcing the much-awaited relief at a mammoth gathering here, Channi said the Asha workers would now get a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500, besides the commission they had been receiving. They would also be entitled to a cashless health insurance of Rs 5 lakh, he added.
Apart from that, the Chief Minister said that 42,205 mid-day meal workers employed at 19,300 government schools across the state had been receiving a meagre Rs 2,200 per month. This had been increased to Rs 3,000 a month now.
He also announced that both would get these benefits the whole year, instead of 10 months. They would also be entitled to maternity leave on a par with other regular employees, declared the Chief Minister.
Terming the AAP’s poll promise of Rs 1,000 monthly pension for women in Punjab farce, he said women needed empowerment and the government had already reserved 33 per cent government jobs and 50 per cent seats in civic bodies, block samitis and sarpanches for them. More work was being in this direction, he said, appealing to the people to give him a chance to form the next government.
Others who were present on the occasion included Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni, Revenue Minister Aruna Chaudhary, Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha and MLAs Balbir Singh Sidhu and Amrik Singh.
CM hikes Asha, mid-day meal workers' wages
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