Up in arms against pre-primary classes started in state-run schools, over 250 Anganwadi workers and helpers from different blocks of the district staged a Jail Bharo Andolan outside the mini secretariat on Thursday to register their strong protest against the Centre.
The members of the Anganwadi Mulazam Union (CITU), marched towards the deputy commissioner’s office at 1.30 pm and sloganeered against the Centre.
Workers have been demanding that the government should start pre-primary classes in anganwadis as there is already an existing setup there.
The workers raised slogans against the government by holding placards and demanded to stop enrolling children in pre-primary classes in government schools.
While the cops refused to arrest them and asked the protesters to lift the protest, to which the workers moved towards Bharat Nagar chowk to join the ongoing agitation by the trade unions.
Punjab Anganwadi Mulazam Union general secretary Subhash Rani said, “Our main demand is that the children between 3-6 years should be sent to Anganwadi centers and not to government schools for pre-primary classes. The workers and helpers can take better care of these children.”
Cornering the state government, Rani alleged that it has not included its 40% share in the wages which were to be increased as per the announcement made by the Centre in September 2018.
{{/usCountry}}Cornering the state government, Rani alleged that it has not included its 40% share in the wages which were to be increased as per the announcement made by the Centre in September 2018.
{{/usCountry}}The union members also demanded that a helper be deployed to support the worker deployed at every mini-Anganwadi centre.
In 2018, the central government had announced to increase Rs 1,500, Rs 1,250 and Rs 750 in the salaries of workers, mini workers, and helpers, respectively. The wages were increased from October 2018 with 60:40 share of the central and the state government in the hike, she said. “But the notification that we received stated that the state government has increased only Rs 900 for workers by not contributing its share. The mini workers and helpers are also getting lesser money compared to the amount announced by the Centre,” she said, adding that there are 54,000 Anganwadi workers in the state and all of them are staging protests in their respective districts.