The District Collectors across Andhra Pradesh on January 2 (Tuesday) appealed to the protesting Anganwadi workers and helpers to resume their duties immediately, with a warning that departmental action would be taken against those who failed to join duties by January 5.
The Collectors served notices in this regard to the Anganwadi staff whose strike entered 22nd day on January 2 (Tuesday).
The notices pointed out that the government had accepted the demand related to age relaxation of Anganwadi helpers for their promotion as workers, provision of TA and DA, enhanced upper age limits for both workers and helpers and increasing the retirement benefits by ₹1 lakh and ₹40,000 for the workers and helpers respectively.
The government has also issued relevant G.O.s for the implementation of the orders with immediate effect.
“Even as the group of Ministers, Chief Secretary and the officers concerned held discussions with the protesting workers and helpers on multiple occasions and appealed to them call off the strike, the latter were continuing the agitation, the Collectors said in the notices.
‘Strike will continue’
Meanwhile, the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Unions affiliated to the AITUC, IFTU and CITU alleged that the government was trying to threaten the Anganwadi workers, asserting that that the strike would continue.
Andhra Pradesh Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association, affiliated to the AITUC, State general secretary J. Lalitha said that the Anganwadi staff would burn the copies of the notices at the Collectorates on January 3 (Wednesday).
“The Anganwadi workers and helpers will intensify the agitation if Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy dioes not respond to the strike,” Ms. Lalitha said.
Andhra Pradesh Pragathiseela Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union State honorary president R. Hari Krishna said that the workers served the strike notice to the authorities concerned 14 days in advance as per the Trade Union Act, 1926.
“Anganwadi workers’ strike is not illegal. The government is provoking the workers by breaking the locks of Anganwadi centres and using force on them. The government cannot suppress the agitation with such notices and use of the police force,” Mr. Hari Krishna said.
Police permission sought
CPI(M) State Secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao said the police had served notices on the CITU and the agitating Anganwadi workers as the union leaders called for dharnas at the Collectorates on Wednesday.
“We request the police to permit the agitating Anganwadi staff, who have been protesting peacefully for the last 22 days, for their dharnas on January 3 (Wednesday),” Mr. Babu Rao said.
