JOIN USIndefinite stir enters third day
A total of 9,185 Anganwadis in Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar districts have remained closed since Monday, following the launch of an indefinite protest.
Close to five lakh students from the four districts have been affected by the stir, that entered its third day on Wednesday, and have been forced to stay at their homes.
Anganwadi workers affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), launched an indefinite strike, demanding the government to withdraw the proposed ‘Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Mission’ and demanding revision of wages.
Workers affiliated to the Unions have been staging protests in front of Deputy Commissioners offices at the respective district headquarters.
K Radha, Deputy Director of Women and Child Development (WCD) department, Mysuru said that the stir has led to the closure of 2,827 Anganawadis in Mysuru district, to which around 1.3 lakh children attend.
“The stir has caused several problems, especially with regard to programmes of malnourished children. There are more than 600 malnourished children who are provided with special supplements in the form of feeding and double feeding. The protest has affected this programme particularly,” she said.
Leaders of CITU and AITUC have maintained that the indefinite stir will continue until the demands of the organisation are met. H S Sunanda, General secretary of CITU in the district said that there were no indications of their demands being met yet, forcing them to continue the stir.
President of Anganwadi Association in Mandya, Manjularaj said that the workers will be forced to stage a stir in front of Vidhana Soudha, if the government does not invite them for talks.
According to the schedule of the organisations, the indefinite stir will be held till February 19.
Districts
In Mandya district, 2,526 Anganwadi centres remained closed. According to officials of the WCD department, there were 1.36 lakh children attending the centres
In Hassan district, 2,491 centres where 1.22 lakh students attend, have been closed due to the stir. Various programmes of CWD department for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers has been affected due to the stir.
The anganwadi workers of the border district, Chamarajanagar too have stayed away from the centres extending support to the protest. Following this, 1,413 centres have been closed .
Deputy director of Women and Child Development department K H Bhaskar denied that all centres were closed and said 50 per cent of the centres were open. Chamarjanagar district unit president K Sujatha said only Gundlupet centre was working and even that has been closed from Wednesday.