Anganwadi workers took out a protest march in Hassan on Wednesday opposing the State government’s alleged attempts to privatise anganwadi centres and weaken the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme by introducing Makkala Mane centres.
The workers took out a procession from N.R. Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. They alleged that the government had roped in a private organisation to run anganwadi centres in Chickballapur, Ramanagaram, Bangalore Rural and Bangalore Urban districts. The government should withdraw its decision in the interest of anganwadi centres. The protesters said they were opposed to Makkala Mane, pre-primary centres functioning in Hassan district. The centres were being run jointly by the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Public Instruction. This would weaken the significant ICDS scheme, they said.
ICDS scheme caters to the needs of a large section of women and children in the country. The protesters said successive governments had neglected the scheme. The allocation of funds for the scheme was not sufficient. The government should strengthen the scheme, the protesters demanded.
President of the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers’ Association S. Varalakshmi and CITU leaders V. Sukumar, Dharmesh and Naveen Kumar led the protest.
