By TILAK AZAD
JAMMU, Apr 23: Hundreds of annoyed Anganwari workers and helpers under the banner of J&K Anganwari Workers and Helpers Union (JKAWHU) Jammu, today staged a protest demonstration and blocked the road for more than two hours on both sides approaching Tawi Bridge near Dogra Chowk to highlight the issues and problems being faced by them and demanded to fulfill their long genuine pending issues.
The workers and helpers representing various districts of ICDS blocks of Jammu region who were sitting on 80th day dharna at Exhibition Ground Jammu have took out a rally and criticized the state government policies for exploiting women workers and helpers.
During the protest, the entire traffic movement has been diverted from Dogra Chowk to other routes keeping in view of traffic jam and to maintained law and order there.
On receiving the information about the blockade, Jammu Addition District Commission (ADC) alongwith police officials reached the spot and pacified the protesters to call off the strike but the protesters didn’t respond the plea made by district administration and continue protest of their demands and issues. After hectic deliberation of ADC in pacifying the protesters who later called off their strike when ADC assured to take them in shape of delegation to Civil Secretariat for redressal the issue with concerned authorities.
The protesters while speaking to media demanded to accede to their issues which are being not fulfilled by state government. They further submitted a memorandum to ICDS Mission Director with a copy to CDPO-ICDS highlighting their demands viz-a-viz honorarium of Anganwari workers and helpers should be increased upto Rs 10,000/ and Rs 6,000 respectively on the analogy of states of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, workers and helpers who served at ICDS more than 10 years should be regularized and other demands of Anganwari workers and helpers should addressed without any delay.
Later, a delegation of Anganwari protesters led by ADC Arun Manhas was taken them Civil Secretariat for talks with concerned authorities for redressal the issues being faced by the Angarwari workers and helpers.
representational picture used
