<p>Anganwadi workers affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions and All India Trade Union Congress, launched an indefinite strike, demanding the government to withdraw the proposed ‘Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Mission’, here on Monday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The protesters said that the proposal of the Central government to hand over ICDS to non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and self help groups, would lead to the privatisation of the same. This in turn would put the livelihoods of several women employed at ICDS in jeopardy. <br /><br />Rather than pushing for such measures, the government should develop ICDS as a separate department, the protesters said.<br /><br />Prior to the launch of the protest, a rally was taken out from Ramaswamy circle in the city to Deputy Commissioner's office and raised slogans against the Central and State governments.<br /><br />They demanded the State government to regularise Anganwadi workers and assistants as grade three and grade four workers and fix minimum wages of Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively. Honorarium for the workers should be increased based on the employees service weightage, they said. <br /><br />They said that Anganawadi workers, despite the dismal pay are forced by local administrations to take up several works, apart from ICDS activities. During elections, Anganawadi workers are put on election duty. <br /><br />Such a trend should stop. Apart from this, the power bestowed on Deputy Commissioner's and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayat to dismiss workers, based on allegations, should be withdrawn, they demanded.</p>
<p>Anganwadi workers affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions and All India Trade Union Congress, launched an indefinite strike, demanding the government to withdraw the proposed ‘Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Mission’, here on Monday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The protesters said that the proposal of the Central government to hand over ICDS to non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and self help groups, would lead to the privatisation of the same. This in turn would put the livelihoods of several women employed at ICDS in jeopardy. <br /><br />Rather than pushing for such measures, the government should develop ICDS as a separate department, the protesters said.<br /><br />Prior to the launch of the protest, a rally was taken out from Ramaswamy circle in the city to Deputy Commissioner's office and raised slogans against the Central and State governments.<br /><br />They demanded the State government to regularise Anganwadi workers and assistants as grade three and grade four workers and fix minimum wages of Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively. Honorarium for the workers should be increased based on the employees service weightage, they said. <br /><br />They said that Anganawadi workers, despite the dismal pay are forced by local administrations to take up several works, apart from ICDS activities. During elections, Anganawadi workers are put on election duty. <br /><br />Such a trend should stop. Apart from this, the power bestowed on Deputy Commissioner's and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayat to dismiss workers, based on allegations, should be withdrawn, they demanded.</p>
