Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Andhra Pradesh unit president and MLA K. Atchannaidu has said the ‘police crackdown’ on the Anganwadi workers demanding an increase in their emoluments reflected Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s vindictive attitude towards them.
In a press release on July 10 (Monday), Mr. Atchannaidu said that the Chief Minister had promised to pay the Anganwadi workers more salaries than what is paid in Telangana, but he failed to keep it. “Moreover, he (Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy) got the Anganwadi workers roughed up for questioning his inaction,” said the TDP leader.
He said the Anganwadi workers were seeking a minimum salary of ₹26,000 per month and job security but the Chief Minister was in no mood to listen to their demands. Another thing troubling the Anganwadi workers was the increasing political interference in their duties.
Mr. Atchannaidu claimed that the honorarium paid to Anganwadi workers was increased to ₹10,500 per month when the TDP was in power and 18,301 Anganwadi centres were built during that period.
The YSRCP government did nothing to improve the lot of Anganwadi workers whose hard work was not being appropriately rewarded, the TDP leader added.