Future bleak for 200 NGO workers as govt cuts funds

Pune: The fate of about 200 workers, attached to various non-government organizations (

NGO

) and involved in the Union government’s family planning programme in Maharashtra, hangs in the balance following the government’s withdrawal of its grant-in-aid since September 2017.

“These non-government organization (NGO) workers reach out to people, who are poor, vulnerable and for whom access to sexual and reproductive health care is a remote possibility,” said Pradeep Dixit, president of the Maharashtra chapter of the All India Family Welfare Association of India.

Elaborating further Dixit said, “About 90% of the 200 workers are women. Along with promoting advocacy about health care rights among slum dwellers in cities, they work in various capacities to promote immunization, sterilization, among others.”

NGO workers have also been engaging men and boys as agents of change to promote gender equality, sexual health and prevent sexual- and gender-based violence

“They also make an effort to increase access to safe, high quality and rights-based abortion care services to all women with a special focus on the most vulnerable living in city’s slums,” said a civic health official of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

A senior official from the state health ministry added, “It is true that the Union government has stopped the grant-in-aid, hence there is a big question about how the NGO workers’ salaries will be paid. Additional director of the state family welfare Archana Patil has suggested the state government see if their salaries could be paid from its exchequer. The proposal is currently under consideration.”

Despite repeated attempt, Patil could not be contacted for a comment.


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