Anganwadi workers stir against govt rents the air in Gossaigaon

Staff Reporter, Gossaigaon, February 23: Hundreds of Anganwadi workers, helpers, and mini-workers on Friday came down heavily on the streets and staged a dharna in protest against the government’s negligence in increasing their remuneration. The Anganwadi workers in search of their legal dues have started the non-cooperation movement against the BJP-led state as well as the central government since February 15 of this month but neither the state as well as the central government has not shown any interest in their legal demands is a matter of serious concern, adds Haripriya Roy, General Secretary, ICDS, Gossaigaon. While staging protests against the BJP-led government the workers demanded the state government to provide wages instead of honorarium, payment of amounts in joint accounts instead of supplying child food, etc. Notably, the workers carried out the same agitation on February 19 in front of the SDO-Civil Office, Gossaigaon, and had submitted a memorandum with a series of demands to be fulfilled at its earliest but the government has not shown any interest in mitigating their demands and hence, the workers came down on the street again, asserted Haripriya Roy. Haripriya Roy while criticizing the Assam government in the strongest terms again said that the government has repeatedly deprived the Anganwadi workers and helpers who served with a meager remuneration. Even this time no funds were earmarked for increasing the honorarium of the workers and helpers in the budget session due to which the non-cooperation was implemented for nine days from February 15 of this month. If the government does not take any appropriate measure to mitigate our demands then from February 26 a massive democratic movement by taking up a non-cooperation program will be carried out for an indefinite period and the government will have to face dire consequences, said Haripriya Roy. It is to be noted that the workers staged a protest by wearing black badges to condemn the incident for the death of farmers injured in the attack on the Delhi-chalo farmers' agitation. Similarly, hundreds of workers and helpers at the Kachugaon and Hatidura ICDS office carried out the protest which was organized under the aegis of Kokrajhar District Committee of Assam State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association.