TV9 Breaking: Anganwadi Workers Launch Indefinite Protest, Disturbs Traffic in Bengaluru......,
Anganwadi workers began the dharna on February 2
The Union government-sponsored Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) has come to a halt for the last 10 days across the State following the indefinite protest by anganwadi workers and assistants opposing the move to privatise anganwadi centres and demanding regularisation of their services.
In Hassan alone, 2,491 anganwadi centres are not functioning as all the workers and assistants are on dharna. Braving the scorching sun and freezing cold in the night, they spent 10 days in the open space. Now they have decided to move to Bengaluru to continue the dharna. More than 50,000 workers and assistants from across the State will continue the protest in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Indiramma, Hassan district president of the Anganwadi Workers’ Association, said: “We began the protest after informing the State government well in advance officially. People concerned should have consulted the association and resolved the issue. They have not begun the efforts in this regard even 10 days after the protest began”, she said.
Alternative measures
The Department of Women and Child Development is working out possibilities to open the anganwadi centres involving Stree-Shakti organisations, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), and mid-day meal workers hired for Akshara Dasoha programme. M. Shivaswamy, in-charge Deputy Director of Department of Child Development in Hassan, told The Hindu that the Deputy Commissioner had convened a meeting of officers to work out the possibilities of alternative arrangements.
However, anganwadi workers do feel that alternative arrangements would not work out. “Nobody else can do the work that has been done by these workers for decades. The government, instead of looking for alternative measures, should hold meetings with the protesters and fulfil the demands”, said Dharmesh, district secretary of CITU, under whose banner the protest is being staged.
