Anganwadi staff take to the streets

Many anganwadi workers and helpers, mid-day meal workers staged dharnas at different places across the State, seeking hike in wages and solutions to other issues on Thursday.

In Ongole, several part-time workers laid a siege to the Prakasam Bhavan under the aegis of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) to press for their demands. The agitators including Anganwadi workers and helpers, mid-day meal workers, IKP animators and II ANMs and field assistants sought an immediate end to harassment by politicians, social security benefits and better working condition.

Amid high drama, 70 workers and CITU activists including its State Secretary K.Umamaheswara Rao and District Secretary Ch.Srinivasa Rao were taken into custody for disrupting the functioning of the Collectorate.

In Srikakulam, CITU organised a massive dharna at the Collectorate, seeking hike in wages of Anganwadi workers, women groups of Indira Kranti Patham.

CITU leader D.Govinda Rao, alleged that the government was harassing Anganwadi teachers and IKP groups instead of resolving their issues.

They raised slogans against the government and later submitted a memorandum to the officials, requesting them to address their grievances.