Ongole: Anganwadi workers lay siege to Collectorate

Ongole: The members of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union, affiliated with Centre of Indian Trade Unions, laid seize to Prakasam District Collectorate in Ongole on Monday.

The members demanded that the government should immediately respond to their demands and resolve their long-pending issues.

More than thousand Anganwadi workers and helpers from all over the district gathered at the collectorate under the leadership of CITU leaders Chikati Srinivasa Rao and Srirama Srinivasa Rao, Anganwadi workers and helpers' leaders Edara Annapurna and Baby Rani. They raised slogans for the fulfilment of the promises made to them, demanded the government to respond to their issues. They demanded the government to pay a minimum salary of Rs 26,000, Rs 5 lakh as retirement benefit and half of the salary as pension to them.

They further demanded that the government must issue ration cards and consider them as beneficiaries under other welfare programmes like Amma Vodi, Jagananna Vidya Deevena and other schemes for poor people. They also demanded the government increasing of retirement age for them to 62 years, appoint family members of the deceased workers and helpers on compassionate grounds, extend paid leaves to them.

Anganwadi workers and helpers demanded the government to increase the budget for the ICDS, increase menu charges for YSR Sampurna Poshana and release dues, upgrade mini Anganwadi centres with 400 and above population to main Anganwadi centres, stop political interference in the promotion of helpers, issue notification for the recruitment of Grade-2 Supervisors, workers and helpers posts. They demanded the government to supply tabs for Anganwadi centres and stop shifting of Anganwadi centres in the name of feasibility.

The workers tried to overthrow the barricades and enter the district collectorate, but the police successfully contained the members to a limited zone and advised them to leave the place, after taking a few leaders into custody.