Anganwadi workers demand Rs 26,000 salary

Vijayawada: Anganwadi workers are angry. Thousands of them came on to the roads and staged protests. They are upset that while they were demanding a salary of Rs 26,000 and gratuity, the government ignoring their plea introduced facial recognition system.

AP Anganwadi Workers' Association president Dhanalakshmi told Hans India that Anganwadi's were playing a crucial role in implementing the ICDS programme and supplying nutritious food and vaccines to pregnant women, nursing mothers, just-born babies and toddlers, as per the government's instructions.

District general secretary Edara Annapurna said that though the UNO and the Supreme Court asked that these centres be increased, neither the state nor the Centre had not taken any measures in that direction.

Some leaders say that salary hike would be announced just before the elections. She said Anganwadi workers cannot be used for political purposes. Some workers said if their grievances are not addressed, then it would become difficult for many leaders to win next elections.

Protests were witnessed in Prakasam district, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Rayachoti, Kadapa and other places. In Visakhapatnam, the Anganwadi workers raised slogans against the government and held a dharna near Gandhi Statue GVMC office.

In Kadapa, when the protesters were refused permission to meet the district Collector and submit a memorandum, they formed a human chain on Kadapa-Bengaluru national highway and raised slogans against the government. This resulted in disruption of traffic for some time. Finally, they were given permission and they submitted a memorandum to district collector PS Girisha.

The police had cracked on the Anganwadi workers and helpers across the state trying to stop them from staging protest demonstrations. Police served notices on them threatening with criminal cases if they participated in the protests. In spite of the pressure from the police, they held dharnas in almost all the district headquarters.