VIJAYAWADA: Anganwadi workers and helpers continued to boycott their duties statewide on the second day. What began as a strike has now intensified into a protest outside project offices across the State on Wednesday. The State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (CITU), AP Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association (AITUC), and AP Progressive Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (IFTU) demanded the State government resolve the long-pending issues of the Anganwadi workers and helpers.
Earlier, they engaged in discussions with the officials on December 11 and 12, urging the latter to address the long pending issues. However, the aftermath of these talks has led to a clash of statements and demands.
Alleging that the officials, in a press release on the night of December 12, issued statements filled with untruths, CITU Anganwadi Sangham StateGeneral Secretary K Subbaravamma demanded immediate correction of the press release’s contents and issuance of another statement reflecting accurate information.
AITUC General Secretary G Obuleshu expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s portrayal of salary increments. He corrected the record, stating that before the formation of the YSRC government, Anganwadi workers’ wages were Rs 10,500, not the mentioned Rs 7,000. He emphasised the need for an immediate rectification of these factual inaccuracies.
CITU Anganwadi Sangham State President G Baby Rani refuted claims that the State government is implementing various welfare schemes for Anganwadi workers, asserting that their requests for inclusion in schemes like Jagananna Vidyadivena, YSR Asara and others have been consistently ignored. They alleged that the officials also issued a warning during the discussions on December 12, that failure to end the strike would result in the dismissal of 1,60,000 workers.