Anganwadi staff besiege sub-collectorate

- Demand withdrawal of GO 3211
- Seek release of pending salaries and higher budget allocation for ICDS

Rajamahendravaram: Anganwadi, Asha and mid-day meal workers have laid siege to the Sub-Collector’s office here on Friday to press their various demands. They shouted slogans demanding recognition of anganwadi workers as Class IV employees, payment of minimum wages, implementation of ESI, PF and application of pension facility. Besides, they demanded the enhancement of budget allocations for ICDS and mid-day meals schemes. Handing over the mid day meals scheme to responsible local agencies would help in preventing diversion of funds, they noted. Speaking on the occasion, CITU district vice-president and divisional secretary T Arun and N Ranga have alleged that widow pensions were frozen. Teachers working at anganwadi centres are being saddled with additional work like carrying out door-to-door smart pulse survey and online survey beating the concept of providing quality education to students.

CITU leader T Arun demanded that anganwadi centres be detached from additional work which is no way related to normal duties. They castigated the government saying that anganwadi centres are being reduced. They criticized that the government is sitting on the promotions of helpers and poor quality feed was being supplied to anganwadi centers. They expressed anguish that snacks were not being supplied to children. It is important for the anganwadi workers to be covered by health insurance as they are prone to fire accidents, the CIT district leader added. They lamented that schools are plagued by lack of basic amenities like kitchen sheds, utensils, gas and drinking water. First aid kits are also not made available at schools.

Anganwadi workers are leading a pathetic life in the face of non-release of salaries by the government, decried Anganwadi workers Bhagya Lakshmi and Vinolia. To add woes, the government is allocating meagre amount on the ICDS(Integrated Child Development Scheme). Violating the spirit of ICDS, the State government has brought in GO No 3211 with a hidden objective of transforming anganwadi centres into convents. They criticized that reimbursement of transport charges in lieu of transporting commodities from ration depots has not been made since December, 2015. Rental amount in respect of centres being run for ICDS is yet to be cleared by the government since last November, they added. To make matters worse, workers who retired last March are yet to be given retirement benefits. Also, group insurance is not being implemented to those workers and helpers who die during the service, they pinpointed.

Though there is no budget provision for supply of eggs, still the anganwadi centres are taking pains to supply the same to schools. With mere supply of three eggs weekly from the government, it is becoming difficult for them to run mid day meals, averred district mid day meal scheme association leaders Rajeswari and Gangaratnam. DWACRA groups have been assigned with the task of maintaining the mid-day meal scheme since 2003, they added. However, private organizations at certain places are being asked to take over the mid-day meal scheme despite eggs are not being provided by them.