Mahila Samakhya dharna held in Lucknow to nudge govt into motion
Members of the Mahila Samakhya Employees’ Union staged a protest towards the shortage of motion in cost of honoraria and reinstatement of jobs by authorities administrative our bodies for the reason that physique was suspended in June of 2020.
Sandeep Pandey, social activist and Magsaysay awardee joined the ladies on the maha dharna to indicate his assist for the trigger (HT Photograph)
A peaceable protest and starvation strike has been underway on the Eco Backyard, in Lucknow, since August 13, and a Maha Dharna was held on Monday.
In 2020, the state authorities had instructed Mahila Samakhya that the organisation can be dissolved and the duties merged with the One Cease Centre. Nevertheless, this step was by no means taken, and near 800 ladies who have been related to this physique have been awaiting motion by the federal government.
In response to a press assertion launched by the Mahila Samakhya, “The calls for embrace cost of honorariums pending within the interval since their duties have been abruptly terminated, and a reinstatement of their job roles and perks in some pre-existing administrative physique.”
The Mahila Samakhya, a physique answerable for operating programmes and campaigns in each district for the training and empowerment of ladies, was previously a central authorities initiative, which was taken over by the state authorities in its authentic kind in 2017.
On this switch, the Mahila Samakhya went from being an company of the ministry of human useful resource improvement, to coming below the aegis of the UP Mahila Kalyan. The Mahila Samakhya even ran a clutch of profitable operations, together with the Nari Aadaalat, which was a physique that helped ladies with vocational training and to struggle circumstances of home violence or gender abuse of their areas.
“Over 200 ladies have been peacefully protesting right here since August 13,” mentioned Kahkashan Perween, state useful resource particular person, Mahila Samakhya. “A few of them are on a starvation strike and have been on a restricted food regimen of fruits and Glucon-D. They haven’t been having any meals,” she mentioned. Appeals have been made to the deputy chief ministers as nicely, to no avail. “For 3 years, the employees haven’t been paid. Technically, they haven’t been let go both – the duties have been suspended with no future resolution in sight,” she mentioned.
Madhu Garg, joint secretary, AIDWA (All India Democratic Girls’s Affiliation), Sandeep Pandey, social activist and Magsaysay awardee of 2002, and Kamal Agarwal, president of State Workers’ Union, have been additionally in attendance on the Maha Dharna.
The press assertion from Mahila Samakhya additionally mentions that a number of ladies who labored as authorities staff of the Mahila Samakhya Yojana have been struggling because of the lack of an revenue – unable to pay their youngsters’s college charges, afford medical therapies, with some even dealing with hunger.
It learn that almost all ladies on this group are within the 45-50 years age group, some are single ladies, some widowed, and a few from low-income backgrounds, who’re discovering it tough to seek out employment elsewhere.
