As many as 115 mid-day meal workers were arrested at the Collector's office here on Monday when they protested against the delay in payment of wages and denial of facilities like ESI and Provident Fund.
They raised slogans against the government for not paying wages since December, 2016. They also opposed handing over of responsibilities to non-governmental organisations.
Tension prevailed for some time when CITU State vice president D. Govinda Rao and others tried to stop the forcible arrest of the did-day meal workers.
Collectorate besieged
Ongole Special Correspondent adds:
Activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions-led Noon Meal Scheme Workers’ Union laid siege to the Collectorate here in protest against the cut in allocation of funds for the scheme by the Union and State governments.
CITU Prakasam district general secretary Ch. Srinivasa Rao said over a crore noon meal scheme workers in the country were up in arms against the Narendra Modi government's decision to cut budgetary support to the scheme.
Instead of strengthening the scheme to arrest dropout rate in schools, the State government had entrusted running of some of the noon meal centres to private players and non-governmental organisations, said All India Democratic Women's Association district president Adilakshmi.