Andhra Pradesh government turn hostile towards the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers (AW&AH) for staging a dharna demanding enhancement of salaries. About one lakh AW&AH have been demanding for enhancement of salaries for several months. These workers were engaged in discharging key duties in reducing the infant mortality and Maternal Mortality Rates, which are high in the State.

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday turned hostile toward the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers (AW&AH) for protesting for a hike in salaries.

According to a government memo issued by the Special Comissioner Women Development and Child Welfare K R B H N Chakravarthi, the AW&AW had called for a protest to lay seige to the Chief Minister’s Camp Office at Vijayawada on December 18. Their protect has come following the government not hiking their salaries for which they are engaged in a series of protest for the last couple of months. As a last resort the AW&AW had announced a lay siege of the Camp Office of CM at Vijayawada. However, police could spoil the bid and took several of the protesting AH&AW into custody.

Taking exception to the protest, the special commission on Wednesday had issued a memo asking the district level officers to source the Video footage CDs and identify the persons involved in the protest. The District level project officers of the Women Development and Child Welfare were asked, to prepare a district-wise list of the protesters and remove them from the services.

The chief minister had earlier announced hiking of their salaries marginally during the winter session of the State Assembly. But, due to the financial constraints the hike will be implemented from next financial year. The total financial burden on the State on account of the hike would be around a little over Rs 325 Cr. This the government claims huge burden on the exchequer. Questioning the logic behind the government’s claim the AW&AW question as to how the government could spend Rs 430 Cr toward Chandranna Kanuka, giving a hike of 43 per cent PRC to the government employees, and spending crores of rupees for running administration shuttling between Hyderabad and Vijayawada, the added.