VIJAYAWADA : In a surprising move, the State government has brought the Anganwadi workers and helpers under the Essential Services and Maintenance Act, 1971, and invoked against the striking Anganwadi workers directing them to join in duties immediately on Saturday.
The state government earlier appealed to the protesting Anganwadi workers and helpers to resume their duties immediately, with a warning that departmental action would be taken against those who failed to join duties by January 5. With the multiple talks seeking withdrawal of statewide strikes and agitations failed, the CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy led state government has taken a strong stance by implementing ESMA on them.
Though the Anganwadis workers and helpers do not come under essential services, the state government has brought them under the category of emergency services in the name of Supplementary Nutrition (Under Integrated Child Development Services Scheme) Rules 2017.
According to the order issued by G Jayalakshmi, principal secretary to government, department for women, children, differently abled and senior citizens, the government also restricted the Anganwadi workers and helpers from staging protests and strikes for six months from the date of issuance of the order.
The strike for the past 26 days had caused disturbance to the attendance of 7.5 lakh children in the Anganwadi schools and adversely affected essential services such as growth monitoring of children and pregnant women, immunisation and health check ups as they are entirely reliant on Anganwadi workers, the order highlighted.
Responding to the order, the Anganwadi workers and helpers union leaders lambasted CM Jagan for invoking ESMA on them despite giving a strike notice prior. Speaking to TNIE, K Subbaravamma, AP Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union State general secretary said the strike will continue and intensify their agitations in coming days till the government accepts all the valid and justifiable demands such as minimum wages and gratuity.
“We have clearly represented all our demands to the state government and it is the turn of CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to fulfil the demands who promised us a better salary on several occasions. We are not going back to duties though the government promulgated ESMA on us,” she stated. On the other hand, TDP national general secretary Nara Lokeh slammed CM Jagan for invoking ESMA against Aganwadi workers. He announced that TDP will support the fight of Anganwadi workers.