BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Tuesday agreed to consider the grievances of agitating Anganwadi workers after thousands of them stormed the Janpath road and marched towards Naveen Niwas to submit their eight-point charter of demands.
A six-member team of agitating workers then went to Lok Seva Bhawan and met chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra seeking an early resolution of their demands including a hike in remuneration. They informed after the meeting that he has assured that the government will look into their issues. A further meeting in this regard will be convened next month.
Accordingly, the representatives said, they have put the ongoing protest on hold till February second week.
Later a delegation of the agitating workers also went to the chief minister’s residence and thanked him for considering their grievances. The Anganwadi workers also conveyed New Year wishes to the CM. Earlier in the day, thousands of Anganwadi workers, protesting for the last 45 days, lay seize to Janpath road near Station square and sat on a dharna at Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
The members, under the banner of All Odisha Anganwadi Ladies Workers Association, carried out a huge rally in the afternoon, which paralysed the Janpath road, putting commuters at great inconvenience. As they started marching towards Naveen Niwas, police cordoned off the road at Rajmahal Square forcing the agitators to go back to the protest site at Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
The association president Sumita Mohapatra said that their demand includes a hike of monthly honorarium to Rs 18,000 for Anganwadi workers and Rs 9,000 for helpers and a government employee tag for all these workers. The agitating members also demanded retirement assistance of Rs 5 lakh and a monthly pension of a minimum of Rs 5,000, abolition of mini-Anganwadi worker status and reinstatement of Anganwadi workers, who were dismissed during the 2018 agitation among others.