Kupwara: Anganwadi workers on Monday held a protest demonstration here in this north Kashmir district demanding regularisation, pension plan and hike in salary.
The protesters marched from main town Kupwara to Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office. They held a sit-in outside there.
The protesters also raised slogans ‘Mojooda Sarkaar Haii Haii, Mehbooba Teri Sarkar Me Padhay Likhay Bekaar Hai, Aagey Aakay Baat Karo Warna Kursi Chhod Do’.
District coordinator Anganwadi workers Ateeqa told INS that they were promised by authorities that all the employees working under this scheme will be regularised but nothing has been done so far.
“If government doesn’t take our issues seriously, our families will also join protests in coming days,” she said.
She also slammed the minister for social welfare Sajad Lone, who hails from the same district, saying that he (Sajad) “doesn’t care about our sufferings”.
“This (Anganwadi) is the lone source of earning my livelihood and feeding my family,” a protester Naseema told INS.
“I’m a widow and have to look after my 6 children,” she said. “The successive governments only made promises of regularising us but nothing has been done on ground.”
The protesters alleged that the finance minister had promised them of addressing their concerns but “we were neglected by Drabu (the finance minister) in the recently presented budget”.
“We haven’t received a single penny since past couple of months,” they said.
