Anganwadi workers threaten to intensify agitation

They praise KCR, criticise Naidu

Hyderabad: Anganwadi workers of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday demanded that the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu follow his counterpart the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashkar Rao and hike their wages. Thousands of Anganwadi workers from across 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh converged on Hyderabad to participate in “Chalo Hyderabad” on Tuesday demanding that their present wages of Rs 4,500 for Anganwadi workers and Rs 2,200 for helpers be increased on a par with Anganwadi workers in Telangana State.

The entire area surrounding Sundaraiah Vignan Kendra was choked with the Anganwadi workers. The police arrested the Anganwadi workers as they alighted from trains and thus thwarted the efforts by them to take out a procession to Assembly. The agitation was supported by the left parties specially the CPI. Anganwadi workers union honorary president Lalithamma said" CM Naidu was displaying highhandedness by arresting the workers near railway stations, bus stations and wherever they found.

Are we criminals? Don't we have the right to protest peacefully? We are not scared of these arrests, we are even ready to go on indefinite hunger strike until our demands are implemented," she said. The Anganwadi workers even staged plays, sang songs criticizing Chandrababu Naidu and raised slogans against the government. An Anganwadi worker said alleged that police had entered their houses during midnight and took them into custody. Naidu told the Assembly on Tuesday that he would solve the problems of Anganwadi workers, who staged protests in Hyderabad.