Centre must also act on Anganwadi honorarium hike: Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar
Bengaluru: Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar said it is not right to place the entire responsibility on the state government regarding the demand to increase honorarium for Anganwadi workers, and called on the Union government to step forward on the issue.
Replying to a question by Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah during the Question Hour in the Budget session on Wednesday, the minister said Karnataka is among the states that provide higher honorarium to Anganwadi workers and helpers, ranking fourth in the country.
She said Anganwadi and ASHA workers play a key role in delivering government schemes to the public and the state government is committed to their welfare. Karnataka provides higher honorarium compared to many states, with only Haryana, Telangana and Kerala offering more, she added.
The minister said the Union government contributes Rs 2,700 as honorarium for Anganwadi workers, while the remaining Rs 9,800 is borne by the state government. She noted that in April last year, the state increased the honorarium by Rs 1,000 for Anganwadi workers and Rs 750 for helpers.
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Hebbalkar said the government has received requests for further increase, stating that the current honorarium is not sufficient considering the work involved. She added that a proposal has already been submitted to the Finance Department in this regard.
“If the Union government takes a step forward, we will also move ahead. They too must act,” she said.
The minister also announced that from the current year, government Montessori sections will be started in 5,000 Anganwadi centres. The aim is to provide quality early education along with nutrition.
She said around 17,000 Anganwadi teachers with qualifications such as BA, BEd, MA and MCom are currently working, and maintaining quality in these government Montessori centres will be a priority.
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Indian vessel 'Jag Laadki' carrying over 80,000 MT crude oil reaches Gujarat's Mundra Port
Ahmedabad, Mar 18 (PTI): Indian-flagged tanker 'Jag Laadki', carrying around 80,886 metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil, arrived at Mundra Port in Gujarat on Wednesday amid the West Asia conflict, officials said.
A day earlier, LPG carrier 'Nanda Devi' arrived at Vadinar port in Gujarat's Devbhumi Dwarka district, carrying 46,500 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) navigating through the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, another vessel - 'Shivalik' - carrying LPG docked at Mundra Port.
Adani Ports, which operates Mundra Port, said in a statement that the crude oil carried by Jag Laadki was sourced from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and loaded at Fujairah Port there.
"Measuring 274.19 metres in length overall and 50.04 metres in beam, the tanker boasts a deadweight tonnage of approximately 164,716 tonnes and a gross tonnage of about 84,735 tonnes," it said.
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The tanker's arrival at the Mundra Port underscores the facility's critical role in handling substantial crude imports, it said.
"This delivery supports major refinery relies on such shipments to maintain operations and bolster India's energy security during supply disruptions in the region," Adani Ports added.
The port provided the safe berthing of the vessel and maritime coordination in safeguarding vital energy lifelines of India, it said.
Fujairah Port in UAE faced drone and missile attacks during the ongoing Israel-US and Iran war.
India imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of natural gas and 60 per cent of LPG needs. Before the US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran's retaliation, more than half of India's crude imports, about 30 per cent of gas and 85-90 per cent of LPG imports came from Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The conflict has led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main transit route for Gulf energy supplies. While India has partly offset crude supply disruptions by sourcing oil from countries including Russia, gas supplies have been curtailed to industrial users and LPG availability to commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants has been reduced.
