Anganwadi workers, who have been agitating for the past 24 days, will stage a hunger strike in Vijayawada on January 5 and relay hunger strikes from January 6 in the districts across Andhra Pradesh, and the protest will be intensified if the YSRCP government does not concede their demands.
Deploring the “apathetic attitude of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy” towards the problems of the Anganwadi workers, CITU district general secretary R. K. S. V. Kumar and Anganwadi Workers and Helpers’ Union district president Y. Thulasi alleged at a media conference in Visakhapatnam on January 4 that the government was trying to suppress the agitation by the use of force.
They said notices had been issued to the Anganwadi workers of various districts through the respective district Collectors threatening them with termination if they did not reseume their duties by January 5.
Anganwadi workers accuse Andhra Pradesh government of apathy as their protest enters 20th day
Asserting that they couldn’t be cowed by such threats, Mr. Kumar said, “The Anganwadi and municipal workers have been agitating for the last 24 days and 10 days respectively. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) personnel have been on strike for the last 15 days. But the YSRCP government is unmoved. The strike by various workers will have a bearing on the prospects of the YSRCP in the 2024 elections.”
He alleged that “police highhandedness” had resulted in severe injuries to union general secretary L. Devi and adviser Brindavathi.
“The agitation will be intensified in a phased manner if the government fails to concede the demands of the Anganwadi workers by Sankrathi,” Ms. Thulasi said.
CITU district leaders G. Appalaraju and M. Subba Rao, Shramika Mahila Samanvaya Committee leader P. Mani and Anganwadi Workers and Helpers’ Unions working president R. Shobarani were present.
