Anganwadi staff on roads, demand payment of dues, hike in salaries

NEW DELHI:  The members of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union conducted a fort night long protest on Sunday where they sat outside houses and offices of Bhartiya Janta Party and Aam Aadmi Party leaders. 

The workers sat in front of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence in Civil Lines and submitted their memorandum to the officials deployed at the residence. The protest is likely to continue for the next 15 days. 

As per the memorandum, the workers demanded the reinstatement of around 1,000 anganwadi workers who were terminated after they went on a strike seeking a hike in their honorarium. According to Priyambada Sharma, convener of the union, the workers also demanded payment of salaries which have been pending from January 2022. 

“The women will encircle the houses of different prominent leaders of both the parties,” said Sharma.  “Anganwadi workers have seen the real face of the AAP leaders. These MLAs and ministers, who call themselves ‘common people’, are never present in their offices. In today’s demonstration, workers warned that they would reach Kejriwal’s residence again if they don’t get any response in time. Hundreds of women from different corners of Delhi are continuously fighting for their demands and are exposing these election rhetoric parties,” she added. 

The workers are planning to demonstrate in front of the Women and Child Department office at ISBT Kashmiri Gate on Monday and will meet the director of the department and submit their memorandum. 
Termination notices were issued to at least 800 anganwadi workers for participating in the strike in the national capital.