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Anganwadi workers held during ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ protest
Thousands of Anganwadi workers were taken into police custody on Monday across Andhra Pradesh as they were marching towards Vijayawada
Thousands of Anganwadi workers were taken into police custody on Monday across Andhra Pradesh as they were marching towards Vijayawada to represent their problems with the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Simultaneously, the Vijayawada police foiled the indefinite fast of Anganwadi workers and helpers, who have been fasting for the last five days demanding that the government fulfil their 11-point charter of demands.
In last one month, the state government held several rounds of negotiations with Anganwadi workers and helpers’ union representatives and as the talks failed, the government decided to act tough with the protesting women.
About 106,000 workers and helpers of Anganwadi centres have been agitating since December 12, 2023, demanding among other things, an increase in their salary from ₹11,500 at present to ₹26,000, besides payment of gratuity, paid medical leaves, recognition of mini workers as main workers, retirement benefits, and pension.
On January 6, the government invoked provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) banning the agitations and asking the women to resume their duties, but the unrelenting Anganwadi workers continued with their protest.On Monday, chief secretary K S Jawahar Reddy issued instructions to all the district collectors to dismiss the Anganwadi workers from service, if they did not join the duties before noon, when the notices served on them expired. The chief secretary asked the collectors to issue a fresh notification on January 25 for recruiting new Anganwadi workers.
Parvathipuram Manyam district women and child welfare development officer MN Rani said in a statement that a total of 1,444 workers and 931 nurses who did not attend their duties were dismissed in the district.
Similarly, Vizianagaram district collector Nagalakshmi said that while 4,151 Anganwadi workers participated in the strike in the district, 503 returned to work. “Orders have been issued to remove Anganwadi workers and helpers who are still absent from duty,” she said.
Tense situation prevailed at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada in the early hours of Monday, when the police barged into the area and shifted the fasting Anganwadi leaders and workers to Machilipatnam police station. The police also removed the tents.
“The police swooped on the fasting camp around 3 am, forcibly bundled us into their vehicles, pulled down our tents and took us to Machilipatnam. Some of the protesting women were injured while resisting the police,” AP Pragathiseela Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union vice-president G Bharathi told the reporters.
The police also took thousands of Anganwadi workers and helpers in all the districts when they were about to board the buses and trains to reach Vijayawada.
