The Anganwadi workers who have been in an agitation mode across Andhra Pradesh expressed shock and anger over the statement reportedly made by Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was not aware of their strike.
As a part of the State-wide call for a sit-in protest at the residences of legislators, the Anganwadi workers squatted in front of the houses of Raptadu MLA Thopudurthi Prakash Reddy, his Anantapur Urban counterpart Anantha Venkatarami Reddy and others on December 27 (Wednesday).
The CITU leaders who spoke in support of the protesting Anganwadi workers expressed dismay over the Minister’s statement and wondered how the Chief Minister or anyone in the Cabinet could feign ignorance when the entire State is “embroiled by the strike” and the workers have been agitating for their basic rights.
The workers accused the government of resorting to ‘delay tactics on the pretext of deliberations with the workers without evincing any interest to solve their problems”. “Those in power have serious issues at hand such as land grabbing. Hence, they are not focussing on our livelihood issues,” said CITU district secretary Naidu.
The workers threatened to intensify their agitation if the government continued to turn a deaf ear to their pleas.
